The Legend of Zelda: The Triforce Saga
by MsNegative24
Summary: Link and Zelda, a childhood friend to whom he has bonded with since his early youth, are thrown into a set of drastic events when their humble village of Ordon is attacked by the evil Gerudo King Ganondorf's monsterous troops. Zelda is abducted as the attack occurs, and Link sets out to rescue her. Upon finding her, he and Zelda come to learn truths about (continued in chapter one)
1. Chapter 1

_**...Zelda's past from the evil Ganondorf, who reveals to them that she is in fact the Princess of their nation of Hyland, and of how he plans to use her in a scheme which could lead to the destruction of their country and even the world. Will Link and Zelda be able to protect the nation of Hyland and the world? Or will all end in utter demise? Find out within The Legend of Zelda: The Triforce Saga!**_

So, I'd like to say hello to the people who have actually chosen to view this story, I appreciate it very much :) It's a rewrite of my last story, TLoZ:BoA, that didn't go anywhere's really. Um...I don't know much else to say but that I hope you'll enjoy!

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_His surroundings were dark. Depressing. Horrifying. The land he stood on was scorched and tattered. The sky above was dark and foreboding. In the distance, the ruins of a castle looked out upon the land. Soon, he heard the hooves of a galloping horse. He turned around and saw Epona. He looked up to her rider, and locked eyes with his lifelong friend. Zelda._

_She was dressed in her white sword-play tunic, chainmaile, and had with her a beautiful new bow and decorative golden arrows. Pauldrons he had never seen before covered her shoulders. He did not question why she was dressed for battle, but boarded Epona and took the reins. He kicked Epona's sides and yelled out a 'yah'. He did not know where he was leading them too, but he knew in his heart that it was the right place to go._

_He, Zelda, and Epona traveled across the scorched land in the direction of the ruined castle. As they passed the remains of the land, he felt a burden placed upon his shoulders. A burden of saving this land he had never seen._

_They soon arrived at the gates of the once great castle town, where he and Zelda dismounted their steed and headed in. They charged through the forsaken place and to where a great castle once stood. Cautiously, they walked up to where the great doors once were; rubble and ruin the only signs they were ever there. Stepping inside, the two headed to the center of what was once a great hall. He looked over to Zelda who seemed to be in a trance; a state of remembrance. A tear slid down her face._

_"He's coming, Link." She said quietly. He drew his sword and shield and prepared himself for an attacker. He finally came. _

_The man was terrifying. His skin was a sickening green brown color, his hair a fiery red, and his eyes amber yellow. He had an extremely tall and buff figure. The man wore a black chest guard, pauldrons, and bracers to guard him. He did not intimidate Link, however._

_The horrendous man laughed as Zelda and Link got into defensive stances. "Your world is already destroyed. What is the point if you fight for it? This place is under my rule, no longer yours, Princess. The Golden Power of the Triforce shall also belong to me. If you'd give it up now, I'd be so happy as to let you both leave with your lives. If not...well, I can obtain it the hard way." He said with a smirk. _

_"I will never give you my power, nor will Link. And we'd rather die protecting it than giving it up to a monster such as you." Zelda spat at him. The man frowned._

_"Very well then. Have it your way." The man snapped his fingers and a sword appeared within his hands. He raised it to Zelda, but Link jumped in the way. He defended himself, but the force of the blow knocked him down. He looked up to see Zelda and the man's confrontation. Zelda's bow had proved to be useless as defense and as attack. The man raised his sword. Terror filled Zelda's eyes. He swung the sword and-_

Link jerked up right. He took in his surroundings and found that he was in his bed. He slowed down his breathing and realized that it was just a dream, though it had seemed like something... more. Link wiped the cold sweat from his face and arms and looked about once more. He was in his home, in his little loft, in his sanctuary. He was safe.

With that thought, he relaxed and slowly fell back down onto his pillow. As he closed his eyes, preparing for sleep once more, another thought popped into his mind. His eyes snapped open and he was instantly awake. _Zelda. _He quickly jumped to his feet and opened the door to the small balcony just outside his loft.

Link wrapped his shaking hands around the railing of the balcony and looked down and around to the ground below. He looked to the sky to judge the time; it was about 10:30. Zelda should be here by now. He became panicked once more and just as he turned to head inside, he heard a call from below.

"Hey! I was just coming to wake you; I'm surprised you're up."

Link nervously chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, well, I just, ya know decided that I wanted to wake up early and so I well, woke up...heh..." Zelda just starred at him, not believing a word he said.

"Right. Now go put some clothes on and meet me at the stables; you've got work to do." Link nodded as Zelda walked off towards their little village of Ordon. Link briefly thought back to the dream -correction, nightmare- that he'd had. Nightmares had been coming to him more frequently in the past few months than they ever had, so it was nothing, right? Besides, he and Zelda were fine, so it didn't matter.

He headed back inside and climbed down his ladder to the main part of his home. He went over to his dresser and opened up the cabinet. Reaching inside, he grabbed one of his worn, old sleeveless white tunics, an orange and blue waist wrap, and a belt. He put on his shirt and wrap and secured them in place with his belt. As he rushed to the door, he slipped into a pair of short boots.

Link opened the door and stepped outside into the fresh morning air and smiled. He loved the morning time, though he loved sleep more. After taking in the morning, he climbed down his ladder and jumped to the hard dirt ground. The dream still haunted the back of his mind as he walked into their village. It had felt so...real. It was so vivid that he knew it had to mean something. But what?


	2. Chapter 2

The village of Ordon was never truly busy, especially in the mornings. Very few people lived there, and the ones that did were not very exciting. Link of course was used to this; it had been this way all of his life. He knew only the children of the village would be able to break the village's peaceful ways.

"Link!" Min, one of the children of Ordon, called from a tree. All the other children, Loem, Dari, and Lyss were gathered at the bottom of the tree, starring up at Min. "Can you help me out of the tree? I'm stuck!" She whined. Link smiled slightly and looked down to the other kids.

"You always do this Min!" Dari complained. "Why do you find it so necessary to get yourself into trouble just to get Link to save you?" Min crossed her arms and pouted.

"I do nothing of the sort! I just happen to get into sticky situations, and Link always happens to be around whenever I need help!" Link's smile widened out of amusement. He knew that she always performed such acts on purpose, just to gain attention from him.

"Why don't you just get one of us to help you instead?" Dari asked irritably.

"Because you're just children. Link is an adult." Dari rolled his eyes.

"So what? You're a kid too!" Loem called out. Min gasped at him and placed her hands on her hips.

"I am highly offended by that statement!" While it was true Min was a child, she was the oldest. Eleven years of age was hardly considered a young adult, though. Min's face softened as she turned her attention to Link. "Link, will you please help me down!" She cried once more.

Dari looked up to Link with a frown on his face. "You can't seriously give into her, can you Link?" Link smirked and looked up to Min.

"Min, I'll help you." He told her.

Min clasped her hands together, hopeful, with a large grin on her face. Loem and Dari frowned and scoffed at Link while little Lyss stood off to the side. "Oh you will? That's so great! Thank you Link!"

"You'll have to wait a bit though." Link said with a small smile. "Zelda needs me to help her with the ranch. Give me until sundown to come and get you." He said as he walked away. Both Loem and Dari were laughing, and Link swore he could even hear Lyss giggling.

"But, but... LINK!" Min called out. Link stopped and turned his head and saw her climbing down the tree. She jumped gracefully to the ground as he turned around.

"You're welcome, Min." Link said with a smile. Min frowned and crossed her arms. "Well I got you down from the tree, didn't I?" The children laughed at Min as she pouted once more. Link ruffled Min's short hair and left the group of children alone before heading through the village to the ranch.

When he arrived, Zelda was setting up a mannequin she'd made long ago for sword play towards the side of the stables where the goats were kept. Epona was following behind her owner's every move. Link smiled and climbed over the gate that separated the village from the ranch. As he landed on the ground, Epona looked up to him from a distance and happily whinnied. Zelda's attention turned from the life sized dummy and to her horse who was charging at Link.

"Woah girl!" Link said, laughing as Epona nuzzled him. He began to walk towards Zelda, who was smiling as he made his way over to her.

"Well, well, well, it seems like Epona's happy to see you." She stated loudly. Zelda crossed her arms over her chest as she smiled at Epona and Link. "You two make me wonder sometimes..." Zelda said with a pause, "about whether or not Epona's even my horse." Link smiled once more as he patted Epona's cheek and crest. He looked over to Zelda and took in her attire. She was wearing a long white shirt which reached her mid-thigh that had intricate patterns painted and sewn on. She wore tan pants and sandals, and her sword was hung at her hip. Her long dark hair was held loosely back with a ribbon.

"Preparing for swordplay?" Link asked her. She leaned against her homemade mannequin and made a face of mock surprise.

"How could you tell?! Is it because my hair's held back?" The two laughed with one another. "But anyway, yes, I am setting up for swordplay. My Grandmother told me I'd just be wasting the day with the animals as I always do, and that I'd better practice or else." Zelda said with a roll of her eyes.

"Or else what?"

Zelda shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe more sword practice? Or she may possibly ambush me, but no worries. Oh, I have a sword in the barn if you'd like to join in on the 'fun'." Link nodded and smiled at her. He knew she never enjoyed practicing the ways of the sword, and that her Grandmother always pressured her to. Truthfully, Link didn't enjoy it either. The only reason he ever had enjoyed it was because of the Ancient Hero who'd saved the world long ago. His parents used to tell he and Zelda when they were young the tales of the legend, and the two would always pretend that they were the hero and Goddess reborn.

He frowned for a moment, remembering those golden days. His parents were alive and well then, and the village of Ordon had never known such a thing as terror, nor fear. But when the last struggling raids and attacks of the Great Civil War came to their tiny village, his parents had given their lives for Ordon, as well as the people in it. It made him proud to have had such great, brave parents, but it of course saddened him.

Link shortly reached the barn and found the sword Zelda had brought for him. He slipped the bandolier over his body and tightened it to fit snuggly and returned to Zelda.

"Well," he started, "ready?" She nodded and the two drew their swords.

"I'll go first." Zelda said. With some 'hupps' and 'hyahs', she began to slash at the dummy, using vertical, diagonal, and horizontal moves. She even performed a spin attack that she'd learned on her own when practicing. When done, she sheathed her sword on her hip and backed away to assess the damage done to her doll. "Well, some stuffing here and there, but I'll be able to fix him. Now I do believe it is your turn, Sword master Link?"

"Sword master, right." Link replied with a roll of his eyes.

"Don't doubt your own abilities. That's going to keep you from ever succeeding in life." Link smiled as he readied his sword. "Go!" On Zelda's command, he began to hack away at the lifeless doll. Link performed the same moves as Zelda, though a few fancy flicks of the wrist were thrown in. When he was done he sheathed his sword and looked to Zelda. "Swordplay comes so naturally to you, it's unreal. I actually have to focus on what I'm doing, but you, you seem as though you go off into some sort of...state of mind that allows you to do such things." She stated as she looked at him in awe.

"So, you're jealous of my sword skills?" He asked her jokingly. Zelda snapped out of her awestruck state and glared at him.

"I don't even like sword play! Why should I be jealous?" Link laughed at her staged over reaction.

"So, when are we going to do some actual work?" Link asked.

"Soon. I was going to start feeding the cuccos, goats and cattle. We-"

"Cuccos?" Link interrupted with a smirk. Zelda frowned at him. "Don't you mean chickens?"

"Oh shut up. I've said that since we were kids, get over it. Anyway, we'll feed the cuccos, the goats, and cattle, and then we'll take a count, ok?" Link nodded. "Good. Now come and grab a bag of- Look out!" Zelda yelled as she tackled Link to the ground.

"What was that for?" Link asked, rubbing his head as Zelda got off of him. He heard no response and looked up to Zelda. She was looking at the barn, and he followed her line of vision. A flaming arrow had hit the side of the structure, and the flames began slowly creeping up the side of the building. Link pushed himself off the ground and looked in the direction from which the arrow had flown. Far across from the two, on top of a ledge leading out into unfamiliar woods, a brown skinned monster with a pig's snout and ears stood with a bow in its hands, glaring at them. It reached to its side, and both Link and Zelda tensed up. It grabbed an object, not an arrow much to their relief, and brought it to its lips and blew. The object was a horn.

As the beast blew its horn, more of the monsters began to appear all around the ranch on the raised ledges. They all had bows in their grimy hands, and they were all pulling them back. As they pulled and loaded their bows, each of the arrows lit with a bright flame. "Run!" Zelda yelled out, not knowing what else to do. The two ran towards the gate to the village with Epona following at their heels. As they reached the gate, the monsters let go of their bow strings and let the arrows fly into the barn. "No!" Zelda yelled out in anger as the building began burn more than before. The goats, chickens, and cows all began to let out their cries as they saw and scurried from the flames. Zelda turned away from the burning building and looked to Link. "We have to go tell the others in the village to flee; this isn't gonna be good."

"I know," Link said with spite in his voice, "I remember what happened the last time the village was attacked." Zelda sadly frowned and looked down to her feet, remembering the awful time.

"I remember it too. Please, we can't let the memory stop us from protecting everyone. We have to save them." Link nodded in agreement with Zelda. The two opened the gate, left it that way, and ran down to the village. Zelda, who Link figured had a plan, led the way to Min's home where Min's parents were surely to be. Zelda began to pound on the door when they reached the home. "Yu-may, Ruis," she yelled with urgency in her voice, "open up! Please open up!"

Suddenly, the door swung opened with a small framed, wide eyed woman standing in the door way. "Zelda? Link? What's the matter?" Yu-may asked calmly. Her husband, Ruis, soon stood behind her quietly.

"Please, hook Epona up to your wagon. The village is under attack. We'll go group up the others, just have it set up when we get back." Both Yu-may and Ruis were shocked by the news, but nodded and headed out of the house and to their wagon. Zelda walked over to her horse, grabbed the reins, and handed Epona over to Yu-may. She then turned to Link. "Come on."

Once again, Zelda took the lead as the two went door to door, letting everyone in the village know that there was danger and that they should go see Ruis and Yu-may. There were three homes that they went to warn first, and, after warning them, they headed to the spring on the outskirts of the village in hopes of finding the kids. As they made their way to the spring, they called the names of the children out loudly.

"Loem! Lyss! Dari! Where are you guys? Min! Lyss! Dari!" They both shouted. When they reached the spring, both were both devastated to find the spring free of the children's mischief.

"Where are they?!" Zelda asked worriedly. "They should have been in the village! They can't be across the ravine! They aren't allowed to be, and they know that!"

"Zel, we should go back and make sure we didn't miss them. Maybe they were in their homes and we didn't realize it. Come o-" Link was cut off by a blood curdling scream. The two looked up in the direction of the cry and saw that beyond the bridge, Min was being tied up and held by one of the beasts.

"The kids!" Both Link and Zelda cried. The two began to dash across the bridge and drew their swords as they did so. The hog monster saw them coming, and pushed Min out of his way. He charged at the two with a spiked club in his hand and raised it above his head, preparing to attack them. Link slashed at the monster's right side, knocking it to the ground. The beast let out a cry of pain as it lay on the ground, dying.

"Link! Zelda!" Min shouted to get their attention. Zelda ran over to her and used her sword to cut the ropes on Min's ankles and wrist.

"Min, where are the others?" Zelda asked as she sheathed her sword.

"They're up in a tree just up ahead... we were making our way to the spring when five of the monsters chased after us. We ran across the bridge and climbed a tree. I volunteered to go and get help, but the monster got a hold of me." Min said, guiltily as she began to cry. Zelda was upset with her, and it was present on her face, but Zelda knew better than to scold her for it.

"Listen to me, Min. Run back to the village as fast as you can, and go to your mother and father. They're setting up the wagon, and everyone's preparing to leave. Tell them all to get my Grandmother and to ride out to the woods. We'll get the others, and they'll be ready to leave when you all get here. Got it?" Min nodded quickly to Zelda, and looked between her and Link one last time before running off to Ordon. Zelda and Link ran into the woods and soon saw a group of the hog creatures standing around a tree with spears in their hands.

"Get away you stupid pigs!" Came Dari's voice from the tree. Something was thrown at the beasts and it made them angry. One of them began to pull their spear back, but its concentration was interrupted by Link, who yelled, "Oh no you don't!" as he ran with his sword ready to stab into the monster's side.

The sword made contact and penetrated the monster's skin and finally pierced its innards. Link yanked the sword out of the creature and took a step back. "That's what you get you stupid monster!" Loem yelled from the tree. Zelda came running to Link's side, her own sword drawn, and the two began to battle it out with the three monsters that were left. To Link, fighting "his" monster was relatively easy. The only advantage that it had was the length of its weapon. Besides that small advantage, Link could battle the monster with ease. The same could not be said for Zelda.

The remaining two monsters had ganged up on Zelda and were cornering her into a group of trees. Soon, she had little room left to back up and to dodge. One of the monsters slashed at her left side, which she dodged, but as her attention was kept from the other, within a split second her right arm had been sliced. She let out a cry of pain and almost dropped her sword, but kept her grip. Coming to her senses, she jumped to a tree to her left, twirled around it, and slashed at its neck. The monster immediately fell to the ground. She stabbed the other one in its side before it had time to react, killing it off with ease.

Zelda looked over to Link and saw that he had already killed off his monster and was helping the children down from the tree. She hesitantly sheathed her sword and neared the group. "Is everyone okay?" She asked as she placed her hands on Loem and Dari's shoulders.

"Yeah, we're fine. The monsters didn't hurt us." Loem said as he turned to Zelda.

"Lyss? You okay?" Zelda asked Loem's little sister. Lyss slowly nodded in response. Her eyes became wide when she saw Zelda's arm.

"What happened to you Zelda?" Zelda quickly drew her left hand to her right upper arm and covered it.

"Don't worry about me. Let's get you guys to safety." Zelda picked up Lyss and carried her on her left side. Loem and Dari ran ahead, and Zelda ran after them. Link took the rear to watch for any more monsters that might sneak up on them.

Soon, they all reached the bridge where the villagers were waiting for them. "Is everybody here?" Yu-may called from the back of the wagon where she and Zelda stood next to one another. "Wait, Zelda, where's Link? Oh, Link! There you are!"

"Link come here!" Zelda called from the back of the wagon. He ran to the back of the wagon and met up with her. "There's a problem." Link looked up to the crowded wagon where all the villagers were crammed in. The children sat on the floor and in the laps of their parents, while the adults were all compacted together on the benches.

"We can't fit anyone else in the back; I can hardly fit in there." Yu-may stated. "How are we going to bring you two?" Link thought about it for a moment. With nine people already in the back, neither he nor Zelda would find comfort within the already uncomfortable wagon, the driver's bench was taken by Ruis and Zelda's Grandmother, Viti, and Epona would most likely not enjoy two riders on her back. He looked at the wagon once more and thought of a solution.

"We can ride on the sides," he said, turning to Zelda. "We'll hold on to the top of the wagon and stand on the ridge of the wood."

"Smart thinking," Zelda said as she climbed onto the side of the wagon.

Yu-may, with a worried, motherly expression, looked at Link. "Are you sure it's safe? We don't want you to get hurt. And Zelda, your arm! It's injured! You can't possibly be willing to endanger it, could you?"

"It'll work," Zelda answered sternly. Link joined Zelda on the wagon, holding on tightly to the wooden frame of the wagon's cover. Yu-may looked doubtfully to the two of them, but eventually climbed into the wagon.

"Are we ready yet?" Zelda's Grandmother called out impatiently.

"Yes, Grandmother. We're ready." When she said that, her Grandmother called out a command to Epona and whipped the reins. Zelda's horse to reared and whinnied, and finally began to run. Link and Zelda both gripped onto the wagon tightly as Epona began to gallop down the road.

As they rode, the winding road through the woods became narrow, and so the two had to press themselves against the side of the wagon to keep from hitting any trees or shrubbery. Epona traveled fast, and soon the end of the road was in sight, though it was rather far off in the distance.

The road slowly began to widen up as they neared the exit of the forest. Zelda carefully pulled herself away from the wagon and looked forward. She then proceeded to turn her head in Link's direction. She looked at him quickly, but flashed her eyes up and back to the road that they'd traveled. "Link, look!" She shouted.

Link turned his head to look behind him and saw what she'd wanted him to see. A group of six pig beasts that they'd encountered before rode on three enormous boars that ran with all of their might.

"What's the matter?!" Zelda's Grandmother shouted.

"We're being chased!" Zelda replied as loudly. The villagers in the wagon all seemed to gasp and begin to worriedly talk amongst each other once Zelda had announced their situation. "Get Epona to go faster!" Her Grandmother heeded her command and whipped the reins. Epona whinnied and began to run faster. Zelda and Link looked back at the monsters. All of them were armed; they all had a bow and arrows. The three beasts that weren't steering the giant boar began to pull back at their bows. They aimed carefully, but not at the wagon or its passengers in the back. They aimed at Zelda.

When the beasts let go of their arrows, Link and Zelda ducked for cover. The arrows had just narrowly missed the hairs on their heads. The next rounds of arrows was still aimed at Zelda, but were not released at the same time. One arrow forced her to duck, the next forced her to the wagon, and finally the third arrow caused her to jerk away from the wagon. A fourth, quickly shot arrow was let loose and aimed at her hand. The arrow tip grazed her fingers, causing her to lose her grip to the top of the wagon. She screamed as she wildly flailed her arms, hoping to hold onto the wagon once more, but she did not. Link caught her right arm and held onto her tightly as she dangled in the air.

With Zelda's added weight made it difficult to hold onto the top of the wagon. He began to feel his right hand beginning to slowly slip from the wagon. He tightened his grip, and in panic, looked down to Zelda who was clinging onto his left arm with both of her hands now. Tears were forming in the corner of her eyes and her face expressed pain. "Hold on, Zelda, just hold on!" He told himself more than her. He turned his head to the beasts and saw all three of the monsters with their bows out and ready aiming at him. All at once, they let their arrows loose and fly.

Link let go of the wagon. He let go of Zelda, who was screaming at him, wondering why he'd do such a thing. The two hit the dirt ground hard. They tumbled on the road and into the woods, but eventually came to a stop not too far from the edge of the forest. The villagers cried out their names as Epona sped on to safety, only to become faint whispers lost in the wind.

Link lifted his head and opened his eyes after a moment on the ground. His vision was blurred, and his head became dizzy. He closed his eyes and gently lay his head back down onto the forest floor. As he rested his head, he began to hear loud footsteps coming towards him and Zelda.

"Link...Link do you hear that?" Zelda whispered deliriously. "It's a villager, coming to get us..." The footsteps came nearer and nearer. Link's head pounded with each stomp caused by whoever was walking towards them. Soon, though, they stopped. He opened his eyes, and through his blurred vision he saw large, black, metal boots. Zelda lay on the ground by the enormous feet. Her face was scratched up from tumbling on the forest floor, and a bruised knot on her forehead was forming.

The figure with the boots reached down and picked up Zelda. To Link, it sounded like she had been placed over their shoulder. The boots turned around and were about to take their first step to leave when Link reached out with his right arm to lamely grab the left ankle of the person. The person paused for a moment and did nothing. Finally, they kicked their foot forward, allowing Link's hand to easily slide off of their footwear. Link's hand fell limply to the ground, useless now. The person made a 'Hmph' and walked away.

Link knew Zelda had been taken by an enemy. The person was definitely not an ally. He also knew he could do nothing about it. He was injured and weak. He needed rest.


	3. Chapter 3

I just want to say a quick little thanks to amwick and CaitlinElizabeth815 for putting this story on their favorites and alerts, and extra thanks to the latter who also reviewed :) I love reviews, so keep them coming! And to be honest, if you review, don't hesitate to leave some critique or thoughts on what will happen. I'll respond to the critique and try to solve it, and as for your ideas on what will happen? ...well, that may just give me some inspiration :P So go ahead and review! (boy i must sound like an attention whore, lol) Enjoy!

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_Link awoke within a dream. He knew that he was not truly awake, nor that he was truly asleep. He stood within an open marble room with a rotunda. The light around him, he noticed, reflected as though it were water, dancing beautifully along the walls. When he looked past the wavering light, he noticed magnificent carvings adorned the walls, and overhead on the rotunda was a mural of three beautiful women around three triangles with a woman in the center of the triangles. He recognized the center woman as the Goddess -his Goddess- Hylia._

_Link looked down at himself. He noticed that he was wearing new unusual clothing that seemed somehow familiar to him. He wore a green tunic that sat over a layer of chainmaile and a white undershirt, tan pants, a pair of expertly crafted leather boots, and forearm length leather gauntlets with no finger tips. On the back of his left gauntlet, the set of three triangles were imprinted onto the smooth surface. Finally, he reached up to his head and felt the newly placed weight upon his head; it was a hat. He took it off and examined it, taking note of its distinct conical shape. Finally, everything clicked together within his mind. He realized that he was wearing the Ancient Hero's clothes._

_As Link placed the hat back upon his head and secured it into place, he looked back up to the room. A slight platform was situated within the center of the room with four torches around it. In the air floating above the platform was a golden triangle like the one he'd just seen on the mural. He took his pried his wondering eyes from the object and continued to look around the room. _

_Around the platform were eight marble pillars that had satin cushions upon them, obviously a resting place for something important. Behind the platform stood a more noticeable pillar with what looked to be a small blue ornament upon it. He walked around the platform and over to the pillar, and upon closer inspection saw that the ornament was actually an instrument; an ocarina to be exact._

_Hesitantly, Link reached his hand out to pick up the musical instrument. As he was about to grab it, the hand of another person reached out and touched it first. Their skin was a pale, sparkling blue. They had a small hand with long and slender fingers. He followed their arm up to their head, where he met the blue eyes of a woman not much older than he was, so it seemed. Her hair was a magnificent blue, and it reached down to just past her waist. The clothing she wore were that considered to belong to the Gods; a draping, pearlescent gown was upon her shoulders, hand sewn with much detail that laced the dress. Two intricate and delicate translucent wings came out of her back._

_"Only in time will you need this instrument," she said with a melodious voice, "but as for the present, you need to follow me." She gracefully walked past the centered alter of the room, seeming to glide across the floor. Quickly, she motioned for him to follow before lifting her arms in a focused manner and turning into a sphere of light. Link hesitated for a moment, but only to think. He had no idea where he was, or why he was there. _Perhaps she has answers?

_The woman, now a ball of bright blue light, began to float out of the room. Link followed her through the room's large exit, a marble arch, and down an enormous flight of stairs. From what he could tell, the room he'd just been in was situated within the walls of what seemed to be an important, and beautiful, city. It was in the center of the large structure and appeared to be an important place for where ever he was. _

_When they reached the bottom, he saw two large statues with intricate spears in their hands, blocking the way to the street. The woman floated over them and attracted their attention. She bobbed up and down in front of them, seeming to talk with them. The two statues nodded to her and moved their spears away. The statues stepped to the side to let Link through. The woman shot down the street and Link ran after her. _

_As he ran through the streets of the protected city, he took notice of the people that lived here. They all had unnatural skin and hair colors, and thanks to that, he felt out of place. Some of them possessed magical qualities that allowed them to float or even control magic. He'd already seen plenty of the citizens controlling an element or even plain magic itself. The people also seemed to have a glow about them; they seemed to radiate light._

_Soon, he and the ball of light that was the woman had come to another important looking building. It looked to be a temple, what with its regal columns and structure. The ball of light bounced up and down to catch Link's attention as it began to ascend the short flight of stairs. Link ran up the stairs as quickly as he could to keep up with the woman. Finally, they reached the top of the stairs and the entrance to the next building._

_The woman turned back to her true form and floated easily down to the floor, landing gently on her bare toes. Then, she looked up to Link, making eye contact. Silently, and without even the slightest nod of the head, she ordered him to follow her over to what looked to be a table. She turned and he immediately followed her to it. Link stood on the front side of the table, which actually proved to be a small pool of glistening water, and the woman headed around it to the opposite side. _

_Once she was across from Link, she placed her silvery blue hands upon the brick edge and looked down into the water. Link followed suit, leaned forward on the brick lining the pool, and looked down. What he saw shocked him, causing him to quietly gasp. What he saw was Zelda. She was lying on an ancient looking stone floor, within a fairly small cage. The room around her was dark, with forest growth in each and every corner of the room. Link looked up from the image of an imprisoned Zelda to the blue woman with a sad, pained, expression upon his face._

_"It's Zelda. Where...where is she? Why is she locked up?" Link asked, his voice growing angrier with each word. He looked back down to the image of Zelda and paused for a moment. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he said, "Is she...is she even alive?" Link tightly gripped onto the bricks, bit his lip, and closed his eyes. Even the simple thought of her being dead was heartbreaking._

_"She is." When the woman said that, Link's tense body relaxed. His legs gave out, his fingers and arms became loose, he hunched over the ledge of the pool and let out a relieved sigh. Link's body shook as he did so, and once he was done he smiled. Without lifting his head, he looked up and to the center of the pool where Zelda's image was. Finally, he lifted his head and looked to the blue woman._

_"She's safe." he stated dumbly, a smile still upon his face. The woman, finally without a dull, serious expression on her face, looked at him with a soft smile. "But," Link said, his smile slowly turning to a frown, "why is she in a cage?" The woman's face returned to its serious state as she closed her eyes. _

_"I shall explain to you what has happened, and why. I will require your complete attention, trust, and promise of remaining calm." Link nodded slowly, his mouth hanging ever so slightly agape. "I thank you." She paused for a moment, composing herself before she spoke. Finally, the woman opened her eyes and looked down to Link. _

_"The place that you are in now is the land of the Gods; it is the Sacred Realm." The woman swooped her hand low over the pool of water, causing the image of Zelda to cloud up and fade away. A new image appeared that of the Goddess Hylia. "This world was created by Hylia and her predecessors. It was crafted to be the perfect place for the Gods of Old to reside. Hylia, though, was not satisfied with the small world, filled with the few others that shared it with her. She set out to create a new world of her own creation. _

"_You of course know the legends and stories: The Hero of Hylia once, long ago, saved the decaying and destroyed land from the Demon King, who sought out the Golden Power of the Gods. Once the war of Good versus Evil had come to what I shall refer to as a stalemate, the Goddess Hylia gave up her immortal form for the future. When she transferred to a mere mortal, her spirit broke into four. One part of her spirit went to her future reincarnated human form, and the remaining three became less powerful Goddesses, Din, Farore, and Nayru. The three were, and still are, sisters who protect Hylia's land and the Golden Power._

_"Much time later, The Hero of the Sky brought the descendants of the ancient people back down to the newly cleansed earth. When they returned to the land, the Goddess Hylia reborn and the Hero found the ancient Capital of Hylia and its castle within the center of the land. They rebuilt the land and the nation and led the people of the sky into an era of peace, tranquility, and unity. They became rulers of their land, a king and queen. Thus, the Royal Bloodline was established. Many generations of great rulers materialized thanks to those two, but a curse seemed to follow. Every so often, an evil would arise and attempt to take the Golden Power or the sacred land from the ruler, all for their self. A Hero for the nation would always arise and save the holy land. But now...an evil has arisen once again, but this time... this time, it is larger than ever before."_

_Link was confused, needless to say. The history lesson he'd heard was interesting, even though some of the things he had already known. The one thing he did not understand, though, was how it concerned him and Zelda. "But, how does this concern me? How does it concern Zelda?"_

_"The new evil... it is after Zelda." Link stared blankly at the woman. _

_"What?" Link said flatly. The woman did not reply to him for a short time._

_"You have heard my words, Link. What I speak is true. The evil, a man by the name of Ganondorf, has searched for years on end for a way to steal the Golden Power of the Goddesses. He was the main cause of the civil war on Hylia's land that you know about from your childhood. He has finally found a way to obtain entrance, and that is by finding the missing heiress, the next one in the bloodline; He seeks out your Zelda." Link just starred at the woman. He could not believe a word she's said. He wouldn't believe it. He and Zelda had been simple villagers, living on the outskirts of the so called great nation for their entire lives. It couldn't be true... could it?_

_Link looked down to his hands that were folded within one another. Past his hands, he saw his own reflection within the now clouded water. He leaned farther over the edge and looked at himself. He saw the tunic, the hat, his gloves, and every other element of his outfit that made him look like the Hero. He then thought of Zelda, his precious Zelda. She was a born leader, innovator, and motivator. Zelda was kind and caring, hardly ever hesitating to help a person in genuine need. She was smart and talented, a quick learner, and one who was in touch with the historical aspect of the land on which they lived. All these qualities that Zelda possessed added up to those of a ruler, of Royalty, but Link still couldn't wrap his head around it. _Why was she a simple villager then? Why wasn't she been raised in the castle by the king and queen and their servants_? _What led to her becoming a commoner, if this is even true?

_Link sighed and looked up to the blue woman. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He had no idea what to say. After all, what could he say?_

_"I know that this is all must be very confusing and even heartbreaking for you, but I need you to understand the importance of the tasks at hand. It is urgent and necessary for you to please do so, Link." Link looked away from her and into the water once more. "Even if you can't say that you understand it all, I need you to be able to say that you realize you've been chosen for something much greater than yourself..." The woman paused her preaching for a moment, trying to figure out what to say next. Link looked up to her, watching her think. Finally, the woman looked back down to him. "Please, Link. For your sake, for Zelda's sake... for the sake of your world and even ours, we need you to accept your destiny." _

_Once more, he looked away. "Destiny?" he asked distantly. _

_"Yes. A predetermined fate." A moment of silence was shared between the two. "Please, I know it is unfair. It was not by my design, but the Goddesses' that you would be chosen. Do not be angered, I beg that of you. Please, Link..."_

_"I'm not mad," he said, finally looking up to her. "It's just... a lot to take in." He looked away again and a moment of silence passed as Link thought about everything he'd just been told. Zelda was in danger, the world was in danger, and he has to stop it. Link looked up to the woman once more._

_"Do you accept your fate?" The blue woman asked quietly. All Link could do was nod. For a moment, the blue woman closed her eyes and seemed to collect herself. "I will now send you back to your world," she stated as she opened her eyes. "You will awaken without major injury. Your first task when you return to your world is to find Zelda and to rescue her from Ganondorf."_

_"Where am I supposed to find her?" Link asked as he stood up straight. _

_"She is being held captive within the ancient ruins of Skyview Temple, the forgotten worshipping grounds for Hylia. When you awake, those who know the way there shall meet you and guide you. You must hurry though, for she will not be there for long." The woman floated around the pool of water and to the center of the room. Link turned around to watch the woman._

_With exaggerated movements, she gracefully swung her arms up in the air and down again, forming magic within her hands. She lifted them once more, slightly above her head and paused. She curled up her hands, and then flexed her fingers, shooting the blue magic onto the ground. A brightly glowing circle of light appeared on the ground. The woman floated around it to face Link._

_"This," the woman started, "is a portal for you to return to the mortal world. Once you step in it, you will return to your body and awaken." Link nodded to her and stepped forward to the glowing portal. He hesitated a moment before stepping into the light. He turned his head to his right side, wanting to say something to the woman who'd informed him about so much. _

_"Thanks," was all he said. Link stepped into the light. Everything around him became a blinding white light, and then turned completely black. He soon felt he was back in his own body as he realized the movements of his closed eyes and the feel of his own self. And just as the woman had said, he was waking up._


	4. Chapter 4

_So, here's another chapter, seeing as it was already written, lol. I have about twenty chapters already written, but I don't want to post them all at once and get ahead of myself. Besides, I'm sure the people watching this thing would like to have a bit of time in between each chapter. _

_Anywho, thanks to CaitlinElizabeth815 and an anonymous goro for reviewing and saying that they liked it. I appreciate it very much :) Also, quick thanks to PrincessZelda450 for adding it to their alerts, and again I appreciate it! On with the story and I hope you enjoy this next chapter :D_

_Oh! And one more thing! I don't know if I mentioned it before (I don't think I did), but the new name of the Triforce Saga was inspired by that phony baloney third game for the NES. Also because it seems to fit what I have in mind in the future :P But, if anyone knows of any legal bullshit or something with that name, which I highly doubt, tell me in case I have to change the name. Change it to what, I wouldn't know, but I'll change it. Now onward with the story._

* * *

Link was slowly becoming conscious, and feeling was returning to his body. He could tell that he was lying on a bed; how he got there he did not know. He also felt a cold and wet cloth dabbing around his face, and a hand gentle hand upon his wrist. Link stirred a bit, groaning as he felt a bit of pain within his muscles. Someone gasped, and the hand upon his wrist tensed up.

"Hello?" A girl's soft voice whispered. "Are you awake?"

A moment or so after he'd been asked that, Link began to slowly open his eyes. When he opened them, and after they had focused, he saw a young girl sitting over him. She looked to be younger than he and Zelda, but old enough to be considered a young adult. The girl had a small body and frame, short and straight, purely white hair that framed a pale oval face, large ruby red eyes, a button nose, and pointed ears like his that stuck out from the sides of her head. Her clothes were simple; brick red knee length pants and a white sleeveless tunic with blue triangles sewn at the bottom as a border, as well as at her shoulders. The girl backed up a bit and picked the damp cloth off of Link's face.

Link tried to push himself off of the bed he was on, but the girl placed small slender hands upon his chest and gently pushed him back down. As she did this, Link also noticed the tattoo of a red and crying eye on her upper right arm.

"Do not force yourself up, you may still be injured." Link did not listen to her, but scooted back and propped himself up against the pillow his head had been on. He looked to the girl and saw that she was frowning at him.

Now that he was sitting up, he took in his surroundings. He was within a small, cluttered room, painted with a warm shade of orange all around. An oven was situated in the direction opposite him, and pots and pans hung haphazardly over it on a wooden shelf. On the shelf were tattered books that seemed to be falling apart from what Link could tell. A clay pot next to the stove was filled with rolled up scrolls. The girl popped the cork off of a glass bottle of water, making Link jump.

"Here," she said handing Link the bottle, "drink as much as you want." Link took the glass from her hands and took it within his own and began to guzzle down the water until there was none left. Once he was done, he swiped at his lips with his left hand and handed the bottle back to the girl.

"You must have been rather parched to drink so much." She pointed out, placing the bottle on the floor. All Link did was shrug in reply. During a short pause, the girl reached down, picked up a piece of cloth and a needle and began to sew. Link looked down to his hands during a short silence as the two did not speak. Link finally spoke up.

"Who are you, and where am I?" He asked. The girl looked up from her sewing and to Link.

"My name is Sia. You are in my Grandfather and I's home in our village of Skyview." Link jerked his head up to Sia, who looked to him with a questioned look upon her face.

"Skyview, you said?"

"Yes, Skyview." Link looked down to his hands once more and frowned. He noticed his hands were covered with the same leather gauntlets as before, and that he was wearing the same attire from the Sacred Realm. Link frowned even more. _Zelda's near here..._

"Now, care to tell me your name?" Sia asked as she easily sewed.

"Link. My name's Link." He stated simply. Sia paused her sewing. She glanced up at him for a short moment, but then returned her eyes to her sewing as she started again. Silence passed as Sia continued sewing and as Link did nothing. "So," he began, "how did I get here?" Link asked.

"I found you upon the forest's floor earlier today when going out for a walk. You were unconscious, hardly even alive so it seemed. I brought you back to my Grandfather and I's home. Might I just say that lugging you all the way back here was quite the chore." She said, looking up with a small smirk.

Link scoffed. "Lugging me?"

"Well, provided you were unconscious you were nothing but deadweight." Sia said jokingly. "But as I was saying, you seemed to be hardly even alive. You wouldn't breathe, for your chest never made the slightest movement. Miraculously though, your heartbeat was normal. Care to tell me why I found you in such a state?" Link looked down to his hands, another frown forming upon his face. He remembered the beasts chasing them, he remembered letting go of the wagon and then seeing Zelda being taken away.

"I can see that whatever reasons that caused you to be where you were are reasons that you do not wish to share. I respect that, Link. No need to dwell on the thoughts." Link nodded, acknowledging her speech. Sia began to sew once more, giving Link time to come back from his thoughts. The two did not speak for some time, until Link spoke.

"You said we're in Skyview?" He asked once more.

"Yes, Skyview Village." Sia answered as she nodded.

"Would there by chance happen to be a Temple of the same name nearby?" Sia stopped sewing and placed the cloth and needle on the ground.

"How do you know about Skyview Temple?" She asked, straightening up and crossing her arms. Link took a deep breath and sighed. All he could do was stare down to his hands. When Sia knew she wouldn't receive an answer, she stood up and began to speak. "If the reason of your knowledge has any connection to your garb, then you have no need to inform me. I will take you there, for I am sure you have great reason to go." Link looked up to her, a look of surprise upon his face.

"You mean it, Sia?" Link asked in disbelief. Sia nodded in reply. A large smile of gratitude formed upon Link's face. "Thank you, thank you so much. I wouldn't know where I'd be heading if I were to travel on my own." He said, hopping up from the bed and began furiously shaking Sia's hand.

Sia smiled and blushed ever so slightly at Link's overjoy. "It is nothing, Link." She stated as Link let go of her hand. She opened the door of the small room and looked to Link. "Now come, for we have a ways to travel." Link nodded and followed Sia out of the room. He was led into a new, larger room that was, for the most part, empty. A large oval rug lay upon the wooden floor, and against the walls were a few tables with trinkets set upon them. The one thing that caught Link's eye, though, was the wooden flute that was propped up against the wall at the far side of the room.

"Whose flute is that?" Link asked, stopping in place. It was a nice instrument, though it did look rather old.

"It is mine. It was a gift from my late Grandmother, who foreshadowed me needing it before I was born. Now come, make haste." Sia said quickly. Sia led Link out of the house and into her village. The village was no larger than Ordon, though it was a bit more widespread than it. No people were out, and so it seemed less lively than Link's home was.

As Sia was about to speed off and lead Link to the temple, she stopped dead in her tracks. "Hmm," she said, turning to face Link. "Would you like a shield? Something as a form of protection?"

"Why would I need a shield?" Link asked dumbly. Of course, he knew that he would possibly be fighting Ganondorf, but he hadn't told Sia anything about him. What other dangers would be lurking within the temple?

"Skyview Temple is deep and far off within the woods, and is most likely monster infested. It wouldn't be wise for you to go with a simple sword, and nothing else. You may even need some potions... Stay here, Link. I will fetch some items for your journey." Sia ran off into her village before Link had time to slip in an argument.

Link patiently awaited Sia's return, and when she did return, her hands were filled with some items. As he took one of the items from her, a wooden shield, he noticed the tattoo of a red eye with a tear drop upon her upper right arm again. It was a strange symbol. He did not bother to question it and placed the shield on his back. Sia handed him the two potions a moment after he had secured his shield.

"Where should I put these?" Link asked.

"Well you have a pack on your right side, so that may be a good place." She replied sarcastically. "Did you not know of it?"

"Actually, no." He stated as he slipped the bottles into the pack. They disappeared out of sight as soon as they entered his pouch. Link could hardly believe his eyes. He reached within the pack for one of the bottles and, as if by magic, one appeared within his hands. "Huh," he muttered, placing the bottle back into his bag.

"A magic pack? Interesting," Sia stated. "Now, if you do not require any more goods that I could supply you with, let us go."

Immediately, the two were traveling beyond the village and through the woods, were there were no trails to stay with. Sia seemed to know her way however, and Link trusted Sia's instincts enough to follow. Through the forests they fought their way past over grown foliage like bushes and vines. Roots that made the ground uneven forced them to watch their feet as they traveled deeper and deeper into the thickening woods. Finally though, after much silent and time consuming travel, Sia stopped within the middle of a clearing.

"Why are we stopping?" Link asked as he looked around. Sia did not respond as she looked around. After another moment of silence, Link spoke up again. "Are we lost?"

Sia shook her head. "No, I know the way, but... the woods, they seem so odd. Does...this have anything to do with you?" Link looked to her, a bit shocked at the question.

"Do you think I caused this?" Link asked.

"No, Link," Sia said, turning to him. "That's not what I meant. I meant to ask that, if whatever reason is taking you to Skyview Temple, does it have to do with this odd feeling the woods is emanating?" Link looked around, trying to grasp onto whatever feeling Sia had about the woods. It seemed darker in this area, but he was not sure if that was due to the little amount of light that was being allowed through the canopy, or if it was truly an ominous feeling.

"Never mind, Link. Come." Sia ordered as she began to walk off into the woods. After another thirty minutes or so of walking together, Link noticed out of place stones jutting out of the ground at odd intervals of the walk.

"Are we getting close?" Link asked.

"Yes, we will be arriving shortly." Soon, Sia proved to be right. After the long hike, they'd finally made it to a large and open space, where, a slight distance in front of them, a large stone building that was in ruins stood.

"That," Sia started, "is the ancient Skyview Temple. In legends, it is said to be where the Goddess Reborn went to cleanse herself of mortal impurities. The Hero of the Sky descended and searched for her there, but could not reach her in time, and so he continued to chase after her through various regions of our land. Eventually, he did find her, and eventually he saved this world on which we live."

"Yeah, I know the stories." Link said, looking down to his feet with a small frown upon his face. "At least I'd always thought they were just stories..." he muttered under his breath. Realization struck Sia like a brick being slammed hard in the face as she heard Link's muttering, and she finally understood what it was that forced him to travel here. Silently, she placed a gentle hand upon his left shoulder.

"That is it, isn't it?" She asked him. Link looked up to her with a confused expression. "And somebody... someone important to you and your cause... someone you love is here. Am I correct?"

"I, I, don't l-love her!" Link sputtered of embarrassment. Sia removed her hand from his shoulder and drew it to her mouth to suppress a giggle.

"Well isn't that rather obvious?" Sia asked with a joking tone. Link scratched the back of his head and looked away from Sia in an attempt to hide his scarlet face. "Link," she began with a more serious tone, "I did not mean it in that way; I simply meant that she is someone you care about, someone who is close to you."

"Yeah, I guess you could say that..." Link said, nodding. Sia smiled at him softly and took his left hand within her own hands and patted it.

"It is very courageous of you to go on and take up a destiny that was forced upon you. That is something most people would refuse. It is also very courageous of you to go out and save your friend, which I am sure that is your main cause." Sia paused for a moment as she still held onto Link's hand. "I wish you luck, Link. Come and visit my village when you and your friend are safe. I would like to know whether or not you both are all right." Sia said with a small smile as she let go of Link's hand.

Link smiled a rather thankful smile at her, grateful for her help. "See you later, Link." Sia said simply before heading off into the woods, leaving Link alone.

Link turned from the woods to which Sia had departed to and to the ancient structure ahead of him. It was ancient all right, and in major disrepair. A large, gnarled tree grew out of the structure with enormous roots and branches twisting every which way. Still, Link could tell that at one time, perhaps when the ancient Hero came to the earth, it had been magnificent. And had Hylia truly visited this place, it surely would have been great, would it not?

Link made haste and quickly arrived at the steps of the building. Climbing up those, he found that the door to the Temple had collapsed or been destroyed at some point unbeknownst to him. He closed his eyes and said a quick prayer to Hylia, or any of the supposed Gods within the Sacred Realm. Link hoped and pleaded for their care, for their watch, for anything that could help him. When he was done, he stared down into the dark, crumbled opening of the ancient temple.

As he took his first step down into the dark entryway, he said sighed.

"Zelda, here I come."


	5. Chapter 5

Link had made his way into the Temple, where he'd found water flooding the place. "How did Zelda even get in here?" Link wondered aloud as he looked at the water before him. Hints of an ancient stairway below the water showed that this place was once water free, and that this was not some trick played on him by the Gods. Hesitantly, he took his first steps into the water and began to swim. The water was colder than he'd expected and caused him to shiver. He soon adjusted to the cold and swam on, watching where he swam as he followed the submerged steps.

As he continued to follow the stairs, the ceiling became lower and lower, leaving him with less and less room in which to keep his head up. Finally, he found himself at a collapsed part of the building, where a large tree root grew over it and helped to block the way.

"That's lovely." Link muttered as he floated in place. He looked around the small area, looking for another way to enter the rest of the temple. After about five minutes of floating, he noticed a fairly large square opening in the wall which he promptly swam through. Link swam through to a new larger room. He swam towards the ceiling, in hopes of finding air, but the water reached even there. Though he struggled to hold his breath, he looked for a solution.

Link noticed some strange looking demonic creatures walking along the walkway that was supposedly submerged. He hurriedly swam over to the area, and found that there was an air tunnel of sorts there. Link swam into the air and fell to the ground with a painful thud, but he was happy to have air. He gasped for oxygen as he tried to catch his breath.

As he did so, heard a screeching noise and looked up to see one of the monsters screaming at him. It lifted a wooden and poorly constructed club and swung towards Link's head, but Link was swift and rolled out of its way.

He quickly stood up and grabbed the hilt of his sword as he unsheathed it. With a yell, Link swung the sword, easily damaging the monster. With two more swings, the monster was down and out. He turned and was greeted by another, which he quickly terminated. He sheathed his sword and looked over the two monsters. They were small stubby things, with ugly purple skin and a rather large nose. Link had seen a creature like this before, from a book or drawing that his parents had done. "Maybe it's a bokoblin...right? At least I think so." He spoke to himself. The monsters turned dark and turned into nothing but purple clouds.

Taking his eyes off of the creatures, or the fog rather, he looked around. The odd air tunnels led to three doors, two of which were locked. One of the doors had a gate, while the other had a lock and chain. Link headed over to the unlocked stone door. "Well, here's a start." With a sigh, he bent down and wriggled his fingers underneath the worn stone door, pausing only a moment before lifting it. As he stood with the weight of the door practically on his shoulders, he took a breath and threw it up as he jogged into the room. The door fell behind him as he looked around. Link saw that he was within another room with an air tunnel, and that it was filled with water for the most part.

With no idea of what to look for, he simply stood, rather dumbfounded. He didn't know why Hylia and her Golden Goddesses wouldn't have provided him with any form of a clue. Knowing he would get nowhere by just standing around, he followed the underwater air tunnel to its end. He found nothing that seemed as though it would help him.

"There's nothing here..." He stated as he walked back towards the door, looking all over in case he'd missed anything. Still, he saw nothing. As he slowly paced through the air tunnel looking over the areas he had to search, Link came to a realization. Turning his head to his side, he looked into the water. "It's in there, isn't it?"

After making that small discovery, Link tried to look into the water to see something, anything, but he could not. Finally, deciding that just standing within the tunnel limited him, he first stuck his left hand in the water, as if trying to feel for an invisible barrier. Link pulled his hand back out of the water, knowing that the water was safe though it was very odd. Taking a breath, he jumped in the water.

Link began swimming around, looking for a key or anything out of place. He returned to the air tunnel whenever he needed a breath of air as he continued looking. On his fourth time of swimming, he found another air tunnel across the room. He entered the small space and found a small wooden chest sitting far back to the wall. He walked over to it cautiously, not knowing what it might contain.

Finally, Link opened the chest. Inside, it was mostly empty much to his surprise. All of its contents were made up of a single silver key and dust. Link reached into the chest and took out the key and placed it into his side pack, where the key simply disappeared. _I still can't get over that, _Link thought.

Link swam back to the first part of the room and into its air tunnel. Lifting up the door, he ran into the main room and ventured across the walkway and to the locked door. He placed the key into the enormous lock and turned it, causing the chains and lock to fall to the ground. With his foot, he pushed them out of the way so that he may lift the stone door and enter the next room.

Once he had done so, he'd come face to face with another one of the supposed bokoblins. Link swiftly terminated it and fought off another that came from farther within the new air tunnel. Once done, he looked around for anything off as he had done in the previous room. This time, walking around the area was all that it took before he discovered some odd glowing, dark blue crystals that were stationed within the water across from each other.

As he stared at them, pondering what they could be there for, an idea popped into his head. "Those things are locking the door," he stated, "but how do they work?" Link stuck his hand into the water to touch the gem on the right of the air way, knowing that that was not going to get him anywhere though. He pulled his hand back out as another thought drifted into his mind. Shrugging, Link drew his sword and swiped at the gem. He sliced through the water and made contact with the crystal, causing it to make a low buzzing sound.

The blue crystal broke up into six smaller gems, and turned a dark grey color, no longer glowing. Link furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head. _Just when I thought it couldn't get any weirder. _The process repeated when he struck the next gem, but was cut short when the two gems reverted back to their natural, glowing blue state.

"Huh." He swung at the gems in the opposite order, but the same thing occurred. He even attempted to attack them at the same time, but the same thing happened.

Link sheathed his sword, stumped. He went back to the beginning of his current room to see if another one were there that he'd missed. There was not. He decided to even go further than that and headed back into the main room. He looked in the walkway and into the water for another gem that could possibly be there. After even swimming in the water, he still found nothing. In a moment of desperation for a gem, he returned to the room where he'd found the key, though he knew it wasn't there.

Entering the main room once more, Link looked down at his shoes as he moved over to the door he'd unlocked. As he was looking down at the floor, he noticed something. On the floor in front of the door leading to the room with the gems was a marking with one line, and above it, a rough image of a diamond. Link walked straight across to the first room he'd entered and looked at the floor. Three lines. He crouched down and grazed the carvings.

"They're tally marks... they number the gems!" Link smiled, taking pride in his discovery. For a moment, he was proud and ready to head back into the room and unlock the door, but one thing stopped him. "Why isn't there a marking with two?"

Link looked back and forth at the two markings on the ground. _Odd. _He thought. _At least I'm getting somewhere. _He looked on the doors for markings of any kind, and looked up through the water to see if any distorted etchings were carved into the stone ceiling. Nothing. As he stood in the middle of the cross section he glanced around for any other etchings. His eyes soon skimmed over another etching that was carved into the floor where it had seemed to be a pointless walkway. He walked over to it and sure enough saw the two tally marks.

Link once again entered the room with the crystal contraptions and looked more closely into the wavering water for any sign of a crystal. He could not see it from his view, so he decided to swim. As he swam in the direction of where he thought the gem would be, he did not see it. He swam farther and up, and there it was, standing in its place upon a large, submerged tree root. Link swam back to the air tunnel and drew his sword. He swung at the gem against the back wall and sheathed his sword as he dove into the wall of water. He swam to the submerged gem and took out his sword and jabbed it with all his might. The gem broke up and turned grey and remained that way. Link made his way back into the narrow walk way and swung his sword at the final crystal lock. A low sound was made as his sword made contact with it.

Link headed out into the main room and saw that the gate covering the door had risen up, leaving only the bottom spikes visible. He did not waste time. Link lifted up the stone door and headed into the next room.

The room he'd entered was much larger than the previous, and most of it was filled with water just as the previous rooms had been. Two more bokoblins attacked Link, and after taking care of them, he saw that another gate was covering the door.

"Of course." Link turned left on instinct and followed the air hallway to another bokoblin and another locked door. He headed back the way he came and took the right path, killed off a bokoblin and found an open door, finally.

He opened the door and found himself in a waterless hallway. He didn't like the fact that water was not present as it had been in the previous rooms. It meant that something special was here; whether it was good or bad, he did not know. Link walked on and found himself in a large and empty room. He paused before walking in completely and took in the scenery. It was a dimly lit room, and there was still no sign of water anywhere. The ceiling was cracked and crumbled, though it did not allow too much light due to foliage and a large root that grew through it.

Link cautiously walked into the room and to the center as his sword and shield clanked together with each footstep. He looked around once more and decided it was okay for him to relax. As he looked around the room, he saw a chest. It was more decorative than the last and was made of metal rather than wood. Link hesitantly walked up to it, unknowing what could be inside or what could happen if he opened it. Still, though, he felt as if he needed to open it.

_Perhaps another key? _ He knelt down and saw that the chest had no lock upon further inspection. He shrugged and shook his head as he lifted up the heavy metal top.

On the inside, Link was surprised yet again to find it mostly empty. He leaned in and picked up its contents, which was a boomerang. As he did so, he heard two gates simultaneously slam down, blocking off two hallways, one of which he'd taken to get here. Link jumped at the sound of the screeching metal and _ching _as they hit the ground. He slid the boomerang securely onto his belt and drew his sword.

Link looked around for any sign of an enemy. He saw none. It was then that he heard a slight shuffling sound that sounded as if it were coming from above him. He looked up and to his horror he saw a large, nasty, incredibly disgusting eight-legged monster crawling along the ceiling. It wasn't the fact that the size of the skulltula was about a thousand times or more the size of an average bug that horrified Link, but it was the large, bulging eye that stuck out on its back. The eye looked around the room as the large creature moved around a bit along the wall. The eye then stopped and looked straight at him.

After a moment of silence the abnormally large spider let out a shrill screeching noise that paralyzed Link for a second or two. Once finished, Link came to and prepared to fight the beast as it lunged down onto the floor from its place on the wall.

The skulltula made the first move by charging at Link with its fangs flashing at him, preparing to pierce his skin and inject a poison that would most certainly kill him in a matter of minutes. Link jumped to the right and rolled around to the back of the monster and slashed at its abdomen. The skulltula let out a shrill cry of pain but Link's hacking did little to stop it. It charged away and turned around to perform its tactic again, but failed. Finally, it decided that it would not allow itself to be attacked anymore. The overgrown insect ran back up the wall and eyed Link.

That was when the beast took the offensive and began to spray poison from its teeth, which Link easily dodged. Once done, it scuttled over to an enormous tree root where it turned around, its front facing the wall. Before Link could react, the skulltula shot out a sticky thread in his direction which kept him from preforming much movement. The skulltula then shot its web making string onto the root that grew through the ceiling and began to lower itself down to Link.

Link struggled against the twine, but did not give up as he used all of his strength to break free. Once he was free the overgrown spider took notice of this and stopped lowering itself. Link sneered as the monster began to emit more of the liquid poison his way. The skulltula stopped, supposedly to "recharge" its poison. It did not lower itself to the ground, however, but it remained on the string that hung it from the ceiling. After a repeat of events, Link began to think of a way to bring the spider down to him so that _he _could attack for once.

The idea came to Link as he rolled out of the way of a spurt of poison which caused him to feel the boomerang on his side. Link sheathed his sword and shield and grabbed the boomerang from his waist. After dodging a few more attacks from the creature, he found the perfect time to attack; when the skulltula was replenishing its poison. He aimed the boomerang and hoped to Hylia that he could throw it correctly. To his surprise, he did and managed to knock the screeching spider down to the ground, which happened to stun it for a moment.

Link didn't hesitate to rush over to the monster and hack away at its abdomen. After another repeat of events, the spider did not return to its string. It did however string up Link once more. This time the thread seemed to be a little stronger than the last time he'd been caught, but then again he was also tired from fighting it. He did not expect what happened next though, as he was attempting to break free.

Instead of the skulltula stringing itself to the ceiling, it leaped off of the wall and to the ground in front of Link. He became tense and began to struggle with the string even more than he had before. He wasn't able to break free of the spider's trap in time to get out of the skulltula's grasp. As the strings were preparing to pop, the skulltula had made its way over to Link and forced its sharp yellow fangs into his skin.

Link let out a loud, agonizing cry as the teeth punctured though his midsection. He was sure he'd heard the cracking of bones as the teeth of the skulltula's upper and lower jaw met inside of him. When the gigantic spider pulled its teeth out of Link, the strings around him began to break apart and soon enough, he was free. He fell to his knees as his left arm grasped at his bleeding lower abdomen. He began to taste blood within his mouth, and found that he was soon coughing it up.

_Pain...so much pain..._ He let out a whimper as he thought of the intense feeling, but soon snapped back into reality when he saw the creature's shadow looming large over him. He rolled out from underneath the beast which pounced on his previous location. Link stood up on wobbly legs and spit out blood as he drew his shield and sword. He ran towards the spider with a sneer present on his face, but the spider was smart enough to realize Link was attacking.

The spider shot its web-making string to the wall and pulled itself along and crawled on the wall for a bit as it watched the disoriented boy stop in place. Link looked up to the monster as he sheathed his sword and pulled out his boomerang. With all his might, he threw the thing in the direction of the skulltula in hopes of knocking it off the wall. Thankfully, for Link, the skulltula fell to the floor. Though his vision was becoming blurry, he charged over to the monster and drew his sword, ready to end it. He looked at the eye of the beast as it lay there motionless, hesitating for only a moment to make sure it would not get up. Finally, he did it. Link had lunged on top of the monster and stabbed the sword straight down through its eye.

The skulltula let out another paralyzing screech, but it was too late for it to have been saved. When the screech was over with, the skulltula collapsed and Link fell from his place on the beast without his sword. He'd landed on his aching front where two large puncture wounds and several much smaller ones let out his blood in good portions. There had to have been more wounds on his back, for he felt the throbbing sensation through there as well. As he lay on the floor, he remembered the potions Sia had brought him before disembarking to the temple.

He let out a soft grumble as he attempted to prop himself up against the nearby wall. After he was sitting upright, he reached for his pack with his slowly numbing left arm. He reached in and grabbed a bottle, and with a shaky hand took out the cork and brought the bottle to his lips so he could drink. The potion did not have a pleasant taste. It was bitter and mixed with the blood in his mouth made it even more disgusting, almost making Link gag. He forced all of it down.

Link leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. The pain was horrible, and he hoped the medicine he'd taken would be enough to cure him of poisoning at the very least. It would be nice though if it could stop the bleeding. He opened his heavy eyes and looked to the dead skulltula. The body had become dark black all over and the body was shriveled as though it had dried up like a plant during a drought. Suddenly, the remnants of the spider's body just turned to nothing. The air around where the body once was turned into a purpley black fog, and as the fog cleared Link saw that a key was the only thing that hinted the skulltula was ever there. He stayed put, however, due to the pain he was still in.

As he sat there in pain, he began to wonder if it was really worth going through this place to find Zelda. _What kind of talk is that?! _he scolded himself. _What kind of hero would that make you? Selfish? Cowardly? Never mind hero, what would Zelda think about it? What kind of friend would you be? _Link sighed and thought of her. He wondered if she was safe. Correction, he _hoped_ she was safe. He hoped that Ganondorf was at least not harming her. At least not now.

Link looked down to his lower abdomen where his blood stained tunic was pierced. He lifted up the layers of clothing he'd had on, and noticed that the two puncture wounds had stopped bleeding thanks to the medicine. He was thankful Sia had thought to get him the potions. It was a truly nice gesture from someone he hardly knew. The wounds were only beginning to heal though, so Link figured he would have to be stationed for a while so as not to harm them.

He relaxed his tense muscles and closed his eyes for a moment in private thought. He opened them once more and looked out into the large room. _If Zelda was really here within this temple, where would I find her?_ Link sighed and closed his eyes once more. A sudden drowsiness over took him, and he did not open his eyes again. Slowly, Link fell into a light sleep and dreamt about his friend, his lifetime pal, Zelda.


	6. Chapter 5 point 5

"Get up." A loud, booming voice ordered as Zelda slowly awoke. She gently began to push herself off of the ground, but fell back down as she groaned due to the throbbing pain within her head. "I said, get UP!" The loud startling sound of a metal door on rusty hinges swinging open jerked Zelda awake. She pushed herself off the floor and sat up, taking in her surroundings. She was within an incredibly room that had been taken over by over grown foliage. As she continued to look around, she was shocked to see a large and frightening man standing before her.

"What the- Where am I, and who in the hell-?" Zelda stopped short as she ranted. The man before her had bright orange hair on the sides of his head and upon his jawline, forming a rather well kept beard. He also had dark brown skin that seemed to have a green tint to it and wore black clothing and armor. A symbol, what Zelda recognized as the symbol of the Gerudo, was largely printed onto his shirt in a dark gold color, and on some pieces of his armor in smaller images. Zelda knew of only one male soul who could possibly be a Gerudo…. _Ganondorf!_

"Still your tongue brat and get up! I command you to get up!" He ordered her. Zelda's spiteful expression changed to one of shock and horror as the realization settled in. Zelda slowly and painfully pushed herself up in disbelief and confusion as for how she had gotten into this situation. Her body ached and her upper arm throbbed, and so that did not help to lighten her mood.

"Where am I?" She asked dumbly.

"That is none of your concern, _Princess_," Ganondorf spat. Zelda cocked her head slightly and furrowed her eyebrows.

"Princess? What do you _mean_ princess?" Ganondorf simply glared at her.

"Don't play stupid girl. I know your secrets and history." He said simply. "Now come!" Zelda stood still as he began to walk away. "I said _move!_" Zelda still did not budge.

"I have no secrets and no history. I was raised a simple farm girl in the village of Ordon, where I have lived most of my life. My parents both died sometime shortly after I was born, thanks to a group of _your_ damned warriors towards the end of the war, the war that _you _started. My Grandmother has raised me since their death, and we have been settled in Ordon ever since. I have no secrets or interesting background." Zelda informed him, raising her voice with each sentence. Ganondorf grimaced at her.

"You lie, wench." Ganondorf spat. "Your parents are not dead and are perfectly well and living. They live a lavished and well protected lifestyle while others suffer right under their noses." He stated gruffly. Zelda growled and shook her head ferociously.

"What are you talking about?!" Zelda exclaimed out of frustration. "They're dead! I don't even understand what it is you are getting at!" Ganondorf just stared at her for a few moments silently.

"So it's true then," he mused as he continued calmly, looking over to her. Stroking his chin thoughtfully, he said, "that you have been missing for sixteen and a half years, isn't it?"

"What? I still don't-"

"SILENCE!" He shouted. "You've no recollection of your past?" Zelda warily shook her head. "No memory at all?"

"No! I've already answered you that!"

"It makes sense then, Princess." He stated more to himself than to Zelda. "You were taken away from the castle as a child, and due to your young age... you don't remember a thing!" He exclaimed, now at a eureka moment. Zelda frantically shook her head with a sneer on her face as she rubbed her temples with her hands.

"You're crazy!" Zelda shouted. "My parents are _dead. _D-E-A-D, dead! And if they were alive, I'm sure as hell that they wouldn't be royalty! Now let me go!" She boomed, raising a fist to him. Ganondorf simply raised his opened left hand. Without even touching her, he stopped her fist mid-air. Zelda let out a scream as her right arm became controlled by him and immersed with a burning pain, caused by Ganondorf who had used magic to stop her. When he released Zelda's arm, Zelda fell to her knees as she clutched onto her numb limb.

Ganondorf watched as Zelda sat on the ground collecting herself. "You resemble the Queen as well, sharing her... looks." Zelda made a face of disgust at his tone of voice. "This only furthers my suspicions." Before Zelda could respond to him, a large stone door slid upward to reveal two monsters that Zelda hadn't ever seen before. The monster made incoherent sounds and syllables that she could not interpret, but that Ganondorf seemed to understand. Ganon's face became angered once the beast stopped speaking.

"What? What's going on?" Zelda asked, only to be ignored.

"Bind her hands and gag her." Ganondorf ordered the minions.

"What?!" She shouted out of shock, unable to say anything else. Ganondorf ignored her question as one of the monsters snatched her hands and bound them with a thick and rough twine. As it dragged her forward and out of the cage by her wrists, the second beast slipped a dirty piece of cloth around her mouth and tied it tightly behind her head. Zelda let out a muffled scream of anger to show her dissatisfaction with the situation.

"Take her to the room farthest back within the temple. The boy will certainly want to find her, and there he will... along with an utter demise." Ganondorf ordered with a small chuckle. Zelda's eyes widened, realizing who he was talking about. The only person he could be talking about. As she was lifted up off of the ground by the monsters, Zelda let out a series of curses, muted by the thick cloth around her lips.

Ganondorf wickedly grinned from within the room as she was taken out. All that she could think about was Link, her friend, and how she was certain he was the one coming to save her. And of how he stood no chance against Ganon.


	7. Chapter 6

_Thanks to the people who are still keeping up with this story, I hope you've enjoyed it thus far and I hope you'll enjoy it in the future as well :) Gonna go all attention whore-y for a second and ask you to review (put what you've liked, didn't like, constructive criticism, yada yada) because reviews keep me going. I'll be posting the temple/dungeon map for Skyview very soon on DeviantArt, and a link to my DeviantArt can be found on my profile (which I need to update, oh jeez xP). Some of Zelda's concept art is on there now, but not much. I'll post some more stuff like scenes that I think will be important later on that I found the time to sketch, as well as more character concepts if I can do them properly. Um, that's about it and I hope you enjoy!_

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Soon, Link awoke from his short rest feeling much, _much _greater than he had some time before. The skulltula bites had healed quickly thanks to the potion, but were still fairly raw. His mind was clear and he no longer felt the effects of the poison as he had before, though he was still a tad woozy. All in all, he felt better and more anxious to leave this place.

Link stood up and straightened out his clothes, sword, shield, and hat. He was rather surprised that the hat hadn't fallen off at any time during battle, provided how loosely it fit. He went over to where the spider had died and vaporized and picked up the metal key that was now resting in its place. _Now what else am I missing? _He looked around and lying on the floor was the boomerang that had helped him to defeat the overgrown spider. He walked over to it and picked it up.

He hadn't really studied the boomerang when he'd gotten it, due to the battle ensuing directly after. Now that he had the time to admire it, he did. It was a sturdy wooden weapon, with a thin white cloth wrapping that was wound around the handle. The end opposite to the handle curved into a spiral with the same three triangles from the Sacred Realm engraved into the center. An unknown language was carved on the side opposite the handle as well, and to Link it appeared as though it was a variation of Sky Hylian. There was also a red gem on the bend of the boomerang with the same eye that Sia had tattooed on her arm.

"Wish I knew what that symbol meant..." Link tried to remember if his parents had ever taught him anything about the strange eye symbol or not. Link couldn't recall anything about it, so he ceased to wonder about it.

The gates that had fallen when he'd opened the chest had remained in place. He looked around for any crystal locks that may happen to be around. There were none on the ground, so he had nowhere to look but up. Just as he'd suspected, two glowing blue gems were stationed high above him; one on a large root and the other straight across on a small balcony jutting from the wall. With a huff, Link studied the positions of the two crystals so he could estimate how hard and at what angle he should throw the boomerang.

Link walked back against the wall where he'd fallen from the skulltula and shifted a bit to find a good position to throw the boomerang. He stationed himself and aimed for the gem on the jutting and threw it.

The boomerang went flying fast and Link could hear the _woosh _of it as it flew through the air. It hit the first gem as Link had expected and kept swirling until it collided with the other on the tree root. The two gems turned grey and broke up when they'd been hit, and by the time the boomerang came back around, the gates had gone up into the ceiling. Link placed the boomerang within his pouch, watching it turn to nothing as he removed his hand from the pack.

Finally, Link was ready to leave the room and so he sped back down the short hallway and into the large water filled room. He found that two more bokoblins had come to man the hallway, but he quickly took care of them. Link had made his way back to the locked door which he quickly opened. He lifted up the stone door and jumped in before the door could shut on top of him.

The room he'd entered was filled with water and had another air tunnel within it. The room was dark due to the lack of light, but it maintained a warm glow that made Link relax a little. No bokoblins were in the area much to his surprise; however mini skulltula were. Technically, they were about as large as Link's head, but compared to the one he'd just fought off and killed, they were microscopic. He took care of them with his sword with one hit each, and had killed off about three when he'd made it over to the end of the hall.

There was another door, and thankfully had no gate or lock on it. He lifted it up and entered a new room. This room was extremely dark, and, from what he could tell, there was no water anywhere. Link drew his sword, ready for anything to pop out at him. Suddenly, a large skulltula appeared out of nowhere. The creature was about his size, and was still much smaller compared to the one he'd just fought. This spider wasn't as intelligent as the other had been either.

Link was soon able to flip the monster over on its back and fatally wounded it with his grounded stab. The skulltula let out a small screech as it shriveled up and died. Like the other skulltula he'd killed off, the thing vaporized to nothing. Link sheathed his sword and blinked as his eyes began to adjust to the darkness. He could tell the room was fairly small, with high ceilings with foliage over growing it, and that there was a balcony not too high above him. He could also tell that there was an alcove in the wall.

He stepped in the direction of the shadowy alcove and blinked a few more times. Suddenly, a cage came into view. It was the same cage Zelda had been kept in. The barred door of the cage was open a crack, and Link swung it fully open. It was empty.

~...~...~...~...~

First, he felt anger. Next, it was a melancholy self-pity. Finally, he became emotionless. He felt nothing, absolutely _nothing. _She wasn't here. The cage was empty. _Was she ever here? Had this grueling temple -no, dungeon- been for _nothing_? If so, then what was the point?_

Link shut the door of the small prison and took a step back. Zelda had been here, and the blue woman from the Sacred Realm had shown him the image; it was irrefutable proof...wasn't it?

Link looked up and saw above the alcove was another jutting from out of the wall and on it Link could barely make out a blue gem. He grabbed the boomerang from his side and threw it at the gem knowing that it would unlock some thing or another. He caught the boomerang and placed it back into his pouch. The gem made the same low noise as the others had, signifying that it would remain opened. Link made his way to the door quickly, but stopped for a moment when he reached it. He turned his head slightly over his shoulder and saw the empty cage once more out of the corner of his eye. Finally, he left.

Back in the large room, Link made his way back to the door that had been covered by a gate and found that it was now opened. He was not happy or overjoyed by this news. He was indifferent.

He lifted up the stone door with much ease and pushed it above his head and entered the room. It was a fair sized room, and it was obviously someone's make-shift headquarters and bed room. An old and rotten mahogany desk was on the left of the room with few papers placed upon it, as well as an inkwell and quill. A fair sized hay mattress was against the right wall with an ornate hand knitted blanket atop it. Two decorative pillows were also situated on the bed. A beautiful gold and maroon chest was at the very back of the room, a straight shot from where Link stood. Whatever was in the chest was good from what he could tell.

Link didn't move though. He could tell it was a setup and a trap for anyone foolish enough to believe that they could just waltz on in and take whatever lay in it. Link looked around and sure enough saw two piles of bones with swords just lying upon the floor. Waiting. He drew his sword and shield and stepped up, seeing no way around the battle.

As he took a few more baby steps, the bones lying on the floor began to move. The two mounds on the floor began to assemble themselves, piece by piece. Once the bodies and extremities of the two beings were assembled, the swords flew up into the hands of each the creatures, and finally the skulls made their way to the necks.

Link recognized the beings as stalfos; reanimating skeletons that were forever cursed to roam the earth. His parents had told him that the Hero had fought off many of the creatures alone. At one time, that had impressed him. Now, in his stoic state, he saw them as nothing more than an already dead enemy. So what was killing them off once more?

One of the stalfos raised its swords and was preparing to swing downward. Link prepared his shield and parried the attack, then made a few slashes with his own sword at the accursed thing's middle. He took notice of the second stalfos as it was just about to swing at him, and Link barely got in enough time to shield himself. He fumbled backwards a bit from the strike, but quickly composed himself. He waited for openings that each one of the monsters granted him and struck as many times as possible each chance he got. Finally, the two stalfos gave an opening that allowed him to finish them off all at once.

Link performed Zelda's spin attack that she'd taught him to exterminate the creatures. His blade cut through the stalfos' spines easily, and the two undead monsters fell to the ground in two large heaps, their swords making distinctive clatters as they hit the stony ground. Link sheathed his sword and shield and made his way over to the maroon chest. He pushed the heavy lid with a red gem up and on the inside saw only an oversized golden key. A large blood read crystal was in the middle of the handle. He placed it his side pack and closed it up. Suddenly, he heard a noise.

Link turned his head slightly to the right and shifted his eyes in that direction too. The clattering of bones and swords rang in his Hylian ears. With a glare on his face, he turned around to face a new undead creature. The new monster that stood before him was considerably taller and larger than the two stalfos that had been in the room before. The bodies had combined and become one, creating an odd looking body structure.

The double stalfos had two skeletons merged by their backs, for their ribs, heads, arms, and legs seemed to belong to one side each. Its two heads that situated on one spine and could spin all the way around, which Link found out as it rotated three hundred and sixty degrees so it could get view of him. All of its four legs rotated in whatever direction it wanted to walk, and it was currently heading for Link as it raised all four of its arms which held a sword in each hand.

Link stopped observing the appearance of the odd stalfos and sprang into action. He drew his sword and shield and began looking for any weaknesses that the cursed skeleton could have. Link couldn't identify any absolute weaknesses that hadn't been present in the previous battle besides the way the arms were set up. This limited a four armed attack, but still it wasn't a huge downfall for the monster.

Battling the stalfos wasn't much different from battling the two when they'd been separate. Link just needed to be more cautious and had to find better attack times seeing as the new creature had more protection. Each time he was given an opportunity to attack he would swing strong and aim for the back bone. When other bones got in the way, they simply would fall off and break from Link's attack.

Soon enough, the double stalfos met its final end. The bones had fallen and vaporized like other monsters into nothing, the swords being the only things to remain. Link was still emotionless, however; the battle hadn't roused him out from his indifferent state. It seemed as if nothing could.

~...~...~...~...~

Link had made his way back to the room where he'd encountered the enormous skulltula. It was now vacant of any enemies, save for a few minor spiders that minded their own business on the walls. He went down a hall that he hadn't entered before, knowing that it would take him to another section of the temple. Once in the new, large, and water filled area, he crossed a short gap on an unsteady board that had most likely been placed there by one of the mindless bokoblins.

He continued on and came to a group of five bokoblins which he quickly took care of, taking only a minor blow to his left side from a club. He walked across a much sturdier bridge over a larger gap and walked up to a huge door with a grey chain around it. The door had obviously seen better days; the paint that hinted at its beauty was now all mostly chipped off, only faint reminders of gold paint remained. A large mechanism underneath the lock appeared to be a lock in its own right, but Link hoped that he would _not _have to set out on another search for another key.

Link reached up to the lock and placed the intricate key with in the keyhole and twisted it. He felt the tumblers moving and clicking randomly until everything finally clicked in unison. He watched as the lock fell to the ground, chains and all as he carefully dodged it. For a moment, he paused and closed his eyes. He took in a deep breath and held it as he wondered what may lie beyond the door. _Hopefully Zelda..._

He opened his eyes and let out the breath. He gave a light push on the door and it swung inward on its own. He hesitated a short moment as he peered into the darkness.

Link drew in another quick breath and released it. "For Zelda."


	8. Chapter 7

_Lol, I finally posted the temple map for this place. It, along with the design for the boomerang that Link got can be seen here: gallery/38309147 _

_Read, review, and enjoy!_

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The echoes of Link's shoes and clattering weapons were the only sounds present in the new room he'd entered. For the most part, it was dark, but a faded stained glass rotunda at the top of the room let in just enough light for the center of the room to be visible. The room around him had once been a beautiful place, as told by the crumbling bird statues and worn paintings that were on the wall. Some tapestry that had lost saturation over time limply hung on to the wall.

Link did not care about the ambiance of the room however; he didn't care about anything as a matter of fact. All that Link wanted to do was to face Ganondorf, retrieve Zelda, and return home. Link walked into the center of the room and looked around with a bored expression on his face. Link drew his sword and shield and looked around once more.

"If anybody or thing's there, I'd be happy to let you know that I'm waiting." Link called out dryly. He heard a muffled voice as a reply, though he could not make out the words. He looked up straight ahead and looked daggers into the darkness. "Why don't you just show yourself and let me kill you now?"

All of a sudden, something was shoved forward. Link raised his sword above his head as he gripped the hilt with both hands, preparing to bring it down into whatever ungodly thing that had finally presented itself. He stopped at the last second as he looked down and heard a muffled scream coming from the being on the ground. Link's eyes filled with terror and he was suddenly snapped out of his emotionless and careless state as he saw who it was. _Zelda._

Zelda was tied up, her arms and legs with a rough twine and her mouth with a dirty cloth. She had minor wounds here and there, scrapes and small bruises from earlier in the day when they'd tumbled through the woods. A large bruised knot was on her forehead, and the gash wound from fighting the hogs was dried up and scabbed on her arm. Zelda's beaten self somehow scared Link. He'd never seen her so injured before.

With a horrified expression from what he was just about to do (which ultimately would have been to kill Zelda), he took a few small steps back as his arms began to fall to his sides. Link let his sword and shield fall to the floor. Falling to his knees, he began to untie Zelda's hands.

"Zelda, I, I'm so sorry! I-I didn't know it was you and, and, I just... Goddess I'm sorry!" As soon as her hands were free he reached down and began to untie her feet as he babbled on about how terrible and sick with himself he felt.

Zelda reached up and pulled the gag down from her lips and looked at Link. "It's a trap!" she shouted as Link freed her legs.

"What?" Link asked as his hands slipped away from her ankles.

"It's a trap! Leave your weapons and-" Zelda stopped midsentence, interrupted by an evil laughter. It echoed around the room and Zelda's face became plagued with fear and hate. "Oh no..." she whispered.

"Who is it? Show yourself!" he yelled as he grabbed his weapons from the floor. He stood up valiantly as Zelda remained on the floor by his feet. Finally, a figure stepped forward from the darkness and into the mere light provided by the glass rotunda.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Goddess's Hero, ready to save the Princess." Link stood taller and the man laughed. "Trying to intimidate me, boy? Doing so is futile." The man laughing at him was most likely right; he stood at least two and a half feet taller than Link, and had menacing yellow eyes. He wore black armor and clothing with what Link recognized as the symbol of the Gerudo. _Ganondorf!_

"What do you want with her?" Link asked as his eyes bore into the Gerudo's own.

"Wouldn't the Goddess have told you, Hero boy?" Ganondorf mocked. Link knew that he was the threat to Zelda that the blue woman had told him about, but he did not know how exactly. He wanted to know the plan. Link's glare remained on his face as the man began to pace around the two. Finally, he stopped.

"Very well. She is the missing Princess of the Royal Family of Hyland. I need her so that the Royal Family may grant me access to the Goddess's Sacred Power, the Triforce. For so long I've coveted that power, that simple little trinket that has no measures; the power that protects your precious land of Hylia." He paused for a moment in his speech and looked down to Link. "Don't you see boy? This here girl is my ticket to the Sacred Realm, and, with her, I plan to make life a bit better for me and my people. Mostly for myself though. A bit greedy, aren't I?" he said with a dark smirk.

"I've already told you, I am not related to the Royal Family!" Zelda shouted. "If I were, I highly doubt they'd have shipped into the woods to a pathetic village run by an ignorant old hag! They're dead!" Ganondorf took a moment to reply as he thoughtfully stroked his chin.

"You are correct there, princess, _they_ wouldn't have sent you off into the woods. But somebody did." Ganondorf stated. "And they, your parents, were _almost_ dead. Your parents slipped through our grasp due to the same person that sent you away." Ganondorf dramatically clenched his fist in the air. His fist slowly fell to his side as he glared off into space. "It's a good thing that that Sheikah woman, Impa, is dead."

"Who are you talki-" Zelda stopped short and her eyes became wide. What Ganondorf had said seemed to strike a chord within her. He took notice of this.

"Oh, so you _do_ remember!" Ganondorf shouted.

Link looked down and saw Zelda holding her head in her hands. "But…it...it's so fuzzy..." She muttered. Suddenly, she was jerked up into the air. Link gasped as Zelda let out a scream of pain, her face beginning to show fear as she hovered.

"This," the Gerudo man shouted, "is for lying to me!" Zelda screamed once more as she was pushed through the air and into a wall with so much force that the structure shook a bit. She slid down the wall and landed on the floor in a motionless heap. Link was running to her when a wall of fire appeared in front of him. Link turned and faced Ganondorf, snarling. Ganondorf had a dark grin across his face as he began to chuckle. He generated a black sword within his hands and looked directly at Link. "Before I slaughter you, I think that I should at least know your name. It would be displaying improper swordsmanship if I were not to ask."

"It's Link." he growled.

Ganondorf smirked and inwardly laughed. "Oh how original."

Finally, Link lunged towards his enemy with his sword raised high. Ganondorf easily blocked the attack with his blade. Ganondorf swung sideways at Link who rolled out of the way just in time. Link stood up and quickly studied Ganondorf's stance. He stood strong. Link allowed himself a few times to falter so he could learn his assailant's attack moves.

Ganondorf would swing for wherever Link would be, and he would swing with a great amount of strength. After that, Ganondorf had a very small time frame in which he would regain complete balance and control and wait for Link to strike again. This, Link knew, is when he would have to attack. _Catch him off guard._

Link meekly attacked Ganondorf and Ganon of course swung in his direction. Link dodged the attack and knocked him back with his sword, causing Ganondorf to stumble. Link began to slash away at Ganon's armor-less chest, but was soon knocked away. He fell to the floor and shook away the slight dizziness in his head. He looked up just in time to see Ganondorf preparing to swing his weapon. Link rolled out of the way once more and dodged the attack.

Ganondorf pulled his weapon up quick and stalked over in Link's direction with a sinister look on his face. Ganondorf lifted up his sword and was prepared to take the offensive. He was preparing for a strong attack, and Link took notice of this. Link did not hesitate. Link quickly slashed at Ganon's side, knocking his sword arm down and rendering Ganondorf fairly defenseless. Link made a few more slices into Ganon's front side and dodged a counter attack that Ganondorf had used before to knock Link onto the ground. Link conducted a few more study attacks that wounded the Gerudo.

Ganondorf lifted up his hand and raised it up in front of him, but did not harm Link. Instead, Ganon himself was forced backwards, but he was not harmed. It was a form of self-defense, Link took it. Ganondorf was looking down to the floor with hunched shoulders, breathing heavily. "You have some skills, kid," he said sardonically. "No wonder the Goddess and her loyal underlings chose you as the next hero." He looked up to Link and evilly grinned. "Too bad that your skills will not be enough!"

He generated another black sword, an exact copy of the one in his possession, and disappeared into thin air. Link tensed up and looked around him, wondering where Ganondorf may generate at. He heard a thud behind him and rolled forward at the sound. Turning around, he saw Ganondorf standing right behind where he'd previously stood. Past him and the dying wall of flame, he saw Zelda coming back into consciousness on the ground. "Are you ready to die boy?" he asked Link who gave no response but a sneer.

The two continued battle. Link found it more difficult to attack Ganondorf now as he had double the protection and attack weapons, though this did not stop Link or cause him to be fearful. Link had the advantage of being quick and light, thus ultimately being more agile than Ganondorf. Ganondorf however had power and strength, thus meaning he could take a hit more easily than Link could.

Finally, Link was given a chance to attack. Ganondorf had lifted the two of his swords far behind his head, and Link jumped forward with his sword prepared for a strong swipe across the Gerudo's chest. Ganondorf was quick though, as if he knew that the attack was coming. If anything, he had _wanted _Link to attack. Ganondorf thrust the blade in his left hand in front of his chest for self-defense, his and Link's swords clashing loudly as they met. The sword in his right hand swung into Link's left, unshielded side, causing Link fall to the ground.

Link let out a cry of pain as he fell to his knees, clutching the wound with his right hand. As Link lay on the ground, he felt the blood beginning to leak from the gash. He found it difficult to balance on his left arm as he hunched over the ground. Zelda screamed his name in the background as he winced and looked at Ganondorf. Ganondorf smiled wickedly and began to chuckle. Ganon lifted his right foot and pushed Link by his injured side onto the ground, causing Link to let out another cry of pain and to roll over onto his back.

The man dropped the sword within his left hand and looked Link dead in the eye. "Ready to die, boy?" he asked once more.

Time slowed down for Link as he lay there, beaten. Ganondorf was laughing maniacally as he tightened the grip on his sword and began to raise it above his head. _This is it..._ Just as Ganondorf began to lower the sword, something caught his eye, but Link didn't even notice the change in Ganondorf's expression as he shut his own.

When Link didn't feel the sword being run through him, and heard Zelda's voice calling instead, he opened his eyes. Zelda was charging full speed towards Ganondorf without a weapon. For a moment, Link was terrified for her. He realized, though, he had no need to be. A bright white light was formed in her fists, and her deep blue eyes were blotted out by it. Her body even seemed to radiate the golden glow. It was magic.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" she yelled, snapping Link back into reality and time, as she leaped into the air.

Zelda's right fist met with Ganondorf's chest, and he suddenly fell to the ground. He was overpowered by the heavenly light. Link forgot the pain in his body and propped himself up as he watched on in fascination as Ganon screamed at the light as it flowed from Zelda's fist to his body. The energy surged through him rapidly and dangerously. When Zelda was done she stood up and a bright mark was visible on his now bare chest; his Gerudo shirt had been reduced to practically nothing.

She stood over Ganondorf with the heavenly glow still about her, the balls of electrical light still within her fists and eyes. Ganon, with his heavy breath, forced himself onto his knees and snarled at her. He attempted throwing a punch but it failed mid-air. He fell forward and caught himself on his fists. Zelda looked on with her blank eyes, her brows and grimace being the only signs of anger.

"I am not done with either of you... you will pay for this! Both of you will!" Ganondorf barked as he looked between Zelda and Link. Zelda held her hand up, a ball of energy pulsating rapidly in front of Ganondorf's face. His amber eyes widened with fear, then malice. He snapped his fingers, and he was gone.

Zelda lowered her hand and the heavenly glow and energy she'd produced slowly left her. She lowered her head and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened her eyes, Link saw that they were back to their deep blue selves, but that they were hazy and distant. Her eyes drooped and her balance became unsteady. Finally, her eyes closed, and, with a short groan, she fell forward. Link jolted upward but stopped as he felt pain surging from the wound on his side. He let out a cry of pain and clutched the deep cut with his right hand.

Link's breaths became jagged and uneven as he eased himself to fully lie down. After a moment, Zelda's eyes opened and she saw her friend lying on the floor not far from her. She gasped and jerked her body up.

"Ow, damn it..." she muttered as she brought her right hand to her aching forehead. Looking up, she saw her friend once more lying on the ground. "Link!" she called quietly, but urgently. She slowly and unsteadily crawled over to his side. As she neared she closed her eyes in pain and continued, only to land her left hand in a small amount of Link's blood that had found its way to the floor. She opened her eyes and gasped as she wiped it off on the side of her pants.

"Zelda...there's...there's a potion in my pack. Get it." She slowly nodded and reached to his side where a small pack was. Zelda opened it and pulled out the only filled bottle and pulled the tight cork on it. She brought the rim of the bottle to his lips and let the red potion flow. Link downed three swigs and pulled away. A small sip was left.

"Link, drink it." Zelda commanded worriedly. Link slightly shook his head. "Please, you need to-"

"Put it on the cut." he ordered quietly.

"What?" Zelda asked.

"Put it on the cut," Link repeated, only this time louder. Zelda nodded and set the bottle aside. She loosened the belt around his midsection and lifted his three layers of clothing. Zelda knew to expect the wound from the sword, but when she saw the remnants of the puncture wounds, she gasped. Though questions about the injuries buzzed about in her mind, she ignored it for the time being.

Zelda looked around her and Link, hoping to see something that would help to wipe away the blood from Link's injuries. As she scanned the walls, she saw a low hanging piece of tapestry that she figured would work. Zelda hopped up and ran over to it and snatched it from the wall. She ran back with the large piece of cloth flowing within her hands, and once she settled next to Link she began to tear the thick pieces apart.

With a larger piece, she began to wipe away at the blood that was around the wound. Zelda soon began to see that it wasn't very wide, but was long and fairly deep. She picked up the bottle and a new piece of the tapestry and poured some of the potion on to it. She began to dab around the wound and eventually in it so she could thoroughly clean it. Link winced during the entire process.

When Zelda was finally done, she set the bottle aside and crawled over to Link's head, which she gingerly picked up and placed on her lap. She began to gently pull at locks of his thick blond hair as she watched him rest. He opened his eyes into narrow slits and looked up to her with his bright blue-green orbs.

"Are... are you okay?" he asked quietly. Zelda was shocked and confused as to why he was asking this.

"Link, I'm fine. Don't worry about me." Zelda said while shaking her head.

"Well if I had done that in the first place, you wouldn't be free." Link stated matter-of-factly with a tired tone.

"I'm not mortally wounded like you. Worry about your own well-being for once." Link made a small smile and closed his eyes. "Link, try to stay up." Zelda as she put her hands gently around his face, cupping its outline. "Link stay up!"

"I'm too tired..." Zelda frowned.

"No, no, no, Link wake up!" Zelda shouted, but to no avail. Link was soon fast asleep, and she couldn't do anything to wake him. Zelda watched him carefully as he slept, making sure that his chest would steadily rise and fall. She placed two fingers every now and then onto his neck so that she may feel his pulse, which was still going on at a comfortable rate.

When Zelda was sure that Link was just sleeping and not dying, she sadly smirked at him and lightly touched his cheek, swiping at her watering eyes as she did so. "You heroic moron..."


	9. Chapter 8

_Woah, five followers now? I love you all, just so you know :) And thank you, luckyseven67, for adding this story to your followed list, I appreciate it very very much!_

_In slightly relevant news, I've begun a drawing of Zelda's face so that you can see what her face would look like. I'll post it to my deviantart even if none of you care about it, lol, and give a link to it later on. _

_And now, in completely irrelevant news, I now am the proud owner of an Ocarina of Time! A literal ocarina that I can play! Oh, how I love it so. I've learned the Song of Time, Zelda's Lullaby, Minuet of Forest, the Star Wars theme, and a few others already in the four days that I've owned it! My dad hates it though, lol, and when I told him thanks he sarcastically said, "This is the first time you aren't welcomed." _

_Okay, on with the story, which is what you all care about most :P_

* * *

Zelda hugged her knees to her chest as she grasped tightly onto the hilt of Link's sword with her right hand. She had long ago removed Link's sleeping head from her lap so that she may keep guard up in case any monsters decided to make their way into the large chamber. She'd also folded the tapestry so that she may make a makeshift pillow for Link as he slept. No monsters had made their way into the room and so Zelda allowed herself to watch Link more closely. He was sleeping fine, snoring slightly as he did so. His breath was slow, but that seemed to be due to his sleep.

Zelda looked away from him and began to stare into space to think. _How on earth could I truly be a Princess, of all things? I haven't the slightest characteristic that resembles that of Royalty. On top of that, I'm a simple villager, a common peasant in their eyes! But, who was that Impa? Who was she? I... I remember her. And she is somehow connected to the Royal Family? Why would I know her? _Zelda faded back into reality and looked down to her hands. _Oh. And what about that random burst of magic? _

She flexed her left hand and inspected it as if hoping to find something more; a clue, maybe, as to why she'd become so powerful. These thoughts led her mind back to Ganondorf. She sneered._ I hope I never see that green goblin again. The monster! Who does he think he is? I bet that he has just taken young women and abducted them in hopes that he'll find 'the one' and finally be able to take over Hylia._ Her anger escalated very quickly. She felt absolute disgust towards the cold blooded Gerudo for all he had done; to anyone, never mind the two of them.

Zelda clenched her fists in fury. Absolute rage began to take her over, and she tuned out of the world for a moment more. She snapped back when she saw what formed in her hands. _Light._

It was the same electrical light that she'd used to harm Ganondorf. Her mouth hung slightly open in amazement. As her anger began to fade, the light did as well. Zelda tried to maintain it, but she was unsuccessful. She let her hand drop, and the magic was gone. As she loosened the grip on the sword she looked back over to Link. He was no longer snoring, and Zelda could tell he was waking up. After ten minutes, she proved to be right.

Link opened his eyes into small slits and looked around. He noticed Zelda and smiled. She returned the favor. "Well you're finally awake." she said. "How do you feel?"

"Better." he said as he attempted to sit up. He fell back down to the floor. "Well...almost." Zelda rolled her eyes and looked at his wound.

"You're going to re-open it if you don't get up carefully. Let me help." Zelda stood by his feet and hunched over. "Give me your arms." Link lifted up his arms and she grabbed tightly onto his forearms, and he did the same to her and she began to count. "One, two, three," She pulled him up to his feet with no problem. "Now let me wrap it up."

"With what?"

"The tapestry from the wall. I'm sure it's fine." she informed him. Link nodded and lifted up the layers of clothes that he had on to reveal his wounded abdomen. As Zelda carefully wrapped up his stomach area, she noticed the puncture wounds again. "So, how did you get these?" Zelda asked as she gently poked one on his right side. Link slid his right hand down to his side to cover the wound.

"Spider." Link answered simply. As Zelda secured the cloth into place, she looked up to him with narrowed eyes.

"A spider? What kind of spider could cause injuries like those?" she asked, now standing up straight with her hands upon her hips.

Link shook his head at her as he let his clothes fall back into place. "Unbelievable spiders, that's what. I swear, that thing must have been about a hundred times larger than us!"

"You fought an enormous spider? When?"

"Well obviously before coming here." Zelda rolled her eyes.

"Whatever Link. You ready to go?" Link nodded, and Zelda passed him his shield and sword, putting them back into their rightful place.

"Ready."

~...~...~...~...~

Link led Zelda out of the temple, taking care of the few monsters that presented themselves on their way out. Zelda was intrigued by the walls of water that surrounded the air tunnels that they walked through, fascinated with the idea of an entire existence underwater. When they reached the first room of the temple, however, she became less enthused.

"We have to swim through that?" she asked when they arrived at the end of the air tunnels. Link nodded in reply to her. "Great." The two dived headfirst into the wall of water, with Link leading the way once more. The two were soon in the stairway and following it up towards the exit. Soon enough, they were out.

The two made their way into the woods, not speaking as they went along. When Link finally sensed something to be wrong with Zelda, he stopped in his tracks and turned to her. She was far behind him, her arms crossed despondently and her head down, lost in thought.

"Zelda," he began, "are you alright?" It took a moment for it to register within Zelda's mind that Link was addressing her, but she soon looked up to him.

"Huh? Oh, oh, yeah, I'm fine." she said with a fake smile. Link frowned at her, seeing straight through her lie.

"No, Zelda, no you're not. Come on; tell me. What's the matter?" Zelda sighed and let her arms drop to her sides.

"Link, be honest with me... do you think of it as silly for me to believe what Ganondorf said?" she asked him. "About me being a princess, I mean."

Link looked away from her and into the trees. He of course knew that what Ganondorf had to say was true, due to his trip to the Sacred Realm. How was he to put it though, that Ganondorf's words were true?

"See, I thought it was silly too! Ha, and whoever Impa was, I'm sure I was just making things up..." Zelda said sadly. Link turned his head back in Zelda's direction but did not look up to her.

"It's not impossible..." Link said. From the corners of his eyes he saw Zelda perk up. "And after all, why would you make up a memory?"

"If I had the answer to that question, Link, I would not have been asking you." she told him with a small smile. "But... the more and more I think about it, the more I can remember, or so it seems. I think, I think that Impa was my caretaker. Each memory I have of her involves her caring for me. The last one I have...she sent me away." Zelda said sadly before she paused and closed her eyes as the memory came back to her. "She brought me to a knight, and he took me... we rode away on a horse to a village, and there for the first time I saw my... my Grandmother..." she said with a small frown.

Link furrowed his eyebrows at her and cocked his head to the side. "Were you in Ordon?" Link asked.

"No... It was another village, lively though it had few people... And there, the knight told her some things... she was, shocked. Fearful, so it seemed. She took me in her arms and rushed into her home where she packed few things in a small bag. She grabbed me once more and rushed out of her home and took a horse and rode off with me... and, that's...that's it..."

"Do you remember your parents at all?" Link asked, hoping to help Zelda's memory along.

"No... Funny, it seems that Impa _was_ my mother, but I know she wasn't. She just took her place." Zelda shrugged and looked down to the ground with a small smile on her face, but it soon faded into a frown. She took a piece of her long, wet hair within her hands and began to toy with it, something Link knew that she did only when she was thinking about something that bothered her.

"Come on Zel, I'm sure we'll find answers eventually. For now, I've got a place for us to go and a friend to meet." Zelda raised an eyebrow at him and let go of her lock of hair.

"Friend?" she asked.

"Yeah, you'll meet her soon." Link answered as he turned around and began to walk off into the woods with Zelda following.

"Her?"


	10. Chapter 9

_What the hell. _

_I skipped a chapter and I never knew about it. What the fuck is wrong with me._

...

AND IN OTHER NEWS, I haven't been writing a lot. I've got most of the next chapter down, but I need to fix the end of it. Sorry 'bout that.

Enjoy this in the mean time!

* * *

Eventually Link had found the way back to the village of Skyview, where children ran about chasing one another in a game of tag. Besides the kids, nobody was outside.

"So, who is it that you want me to meet?" Zelda asked with an irritated tone. Link looked to her, confused.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked.

"Ugh, I've got a headache from this knot on my head; it started a while back. My arm is killing me too." she replied, the same tone of voice present.

"Sorry," Link said, turning away from her as she began to massage her temples. "If I could do anything for you, I would."

"Yeah, thanks." Zelda replied, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. Soon, one of the children spotted Zelda and Link and rushed over to them. The child was a boy with dark blue hair and red eyes that had a brown tint to them (unlike what Sia's were). He looked up to the two and took in both Zelda and Link's appearances.

"Who are you?" he asked finally. Link crouched down to eye level with the boy.

"I'm Link, and this is my friend Zelda. We're looking for Sia, would you happen to know where she is?" Link asked kindly. The small boy paused a moment before responding, but nodded.

"Yeah, I'll go get her. I'll be back!" The boy called as he ran off. Zelda looked to Link with slightly furrowed brows.

"Sia? And who is she?" Zelda asked, still rubbing her temples.

"Sia's a girl I met when looking for you. She told me where to find you and took me there." Link informed.

"Oh. Anyway, where are we exactly?" Zelda asked.

"We're in the village of Skyview. I take it that it's relatively close to home provided that I was found not too far from here by Sia." Zelda let out a simple huff in reply. The two stood together in silence as they awaited Sia's arrival. Soon enough, the little boy returned leading Sia into the village. He pointed over to Link and Zelda's direction and she looked up to them. Smiling, Sia thanked the boy and headed over to Zelda and Link with her flute in hand.

"Greetings, Link! It's good to see you've returned so soon from your journey into the temple." Sia said as she nodded to him. "I see you've found your friend, and- oh my!" she exclaimed as she looked at Zelda. "Are you all right? You look as though you've been into some trouble yourself!"

Zelda looked up to Sia and shook her head. "It's not too bad." Zelda replied. Sia gave a half frown.

"Would you two like to join me in my home? I have some tea I could make to help ease your pains." Sia offered.

Link flashed his eyes over to Zelda and could tell she would say no, had she the chance to. Before Zelda could refuse Sia's offer, Link spoke. "Only if it wouldn't be too much trouble for you, Sia." Link said politely.

Sia shook her head and smiled. "It is no trouble at all. Come," Link and Zelda followed Sia into her home where she led them to the back room that Link had awoken in earlier in the day. "Sit on the bed if you wish, or one of the chairs. I do not mind." Sia told them as she placed her flute onto a desk in the corner of the small and cluttered room. Link and Zelda both took their place sitting on the bed.

Sia went to the stove and opened the bottom of it, releasing a warm burst of air into the room. She picked up a piece of wood lying at the foot of the bed and put it within the oven. Following that, she put her hand into the oven and let it hover over the pieces of wood that were left in it. She spoke a few cryptic words which Link and Zelda didn't understand, and suddenly, she formed a flame below her hand and set the logs on fire.

"You can use magic?" Zelda asked, now interested with this girl. Sia turned as she shut the oven.

"Yes, but not much. I have been trained to use a limited power, and know only a few spells. Why, do you possess a magical quality?" Sia asked, turning back to the stove.

"I guess you could say that," Zelda answered quietly as she watched Sia preparing a kettle for the stove.

"So tell me, you are the one Link was looking for?" Sia asked over her shoulder as she began to put some herbs into the kettle. Zelda nodded, though rubbing her temples. "Well it is good that he found you. He was worried about you on his way to the Temple." Sia paused and looked up in thought. "Perhaps not worried... he was more, forlorn about your absence." she said as she looked over her shoulder with a small smile.

Zelda looked to Link with her own small smirk. "So you were sad about me being gone?" she teased.

"Not in the slightest," Link replied, rolling his eyes.

"How sweet." Zelda and Link looked up to Sia as she turned around to her right. As she did so, Zelda's gaze caught the sight of Sia's tattoo; a crying eye. She drew in a short breath.

"What is wrong?" Sia asked, concerned. Zelda continued to stare at Sia's arm. Sia soon picked up on Zelda's line of vision and looked down to her arm. "My tattoo?" Sia asked. Zelda nodded as she still gawked at the red eye. Sia slowly wrapped her hand around her arm, covering the tattoo. Zelda looked up to her and was confused with Sia's sad expression.

"This," Sia started, "is the symbol of my people. We are the Sheikah. My people were created by the Goddess Hylia to protect her descendants, and since the descendants of the Goddess are in the Royal Hylian family, our tribe is closely associated with them." Zelda urged Sia to go on, for she was thoroughly interested. "This tattoo was given to me by my mother and Grandfather when I was a young girl, no older than four. It was given to me in memory of my late Grandmother who served and helped to protect the Royal Family. She died during a raid after sending away the king and queen and their child."

"….their child?"

Sia nodded.

"My Grandmother sent her away with a knight, separated from her parents. My Grandfather told me that she was taken here and given into the care of the queen's mother, her Grandmother, and that her Grandmother left with her as soon as she could. No one knows what happened after that." Zelda stared at Sia with her mouth hanging ajar. She let out a breath that she had been holding and looked down to her hands, letting out a small laugh as she did so. She frowned.

Link looked to Zelda, worried. He knew that she must have seen everything clicking together in her head.

"Are you okay, Zel?" Link asked, not knowing what else to say as he placed a hand on her shoulder. After a moment of silence, Sia took an inward breath, everything clicking together in her own mind.

"Oh!" she said. Both Link and Zelda looked up to her and saw he place a hand over her mouth. "Oh, I understand now..." she whispered. "Zelda... P-Princess Zelda! It- It's you, isn't it? Where have you been? Did you even-?"

"Know?" Zelda asked with watery eyes and a smirk, now looking back up to Sia. "No, I didn't." She closed her eyes and let the smile fade as she gently placed her head in her left hand. "And your Grandmother... was her name Impa?" Sia's eyes widened a bit, but she nodded her head.

"That is correct." Silence. "Was Impa your care taker?" Zelda nodded and then sighed. "You must be their child, you have to! The Princess... the Princess of Hylia. Where have you been all of this time?"

"In Ordon village. I've lived there since I was a small kid with my Grandmother. I had no idea..." Sia cocked her head at Zelda.

"You had no idea?" she asked, curiously. "But, didn't your Grandmother ever tell you of it? She certainly knew of the history of the land and was close with her own daughter, the queen. Had she never told you?" Sia asked. Zelda looked up with squinted eyes.

"No, my Grandmother never even mentioned it. How much does she know?" Zelda asked, her tone irritated once more.

"As far as I have been told, your Grandmother should know a vast amount of information of the Royals. She knows much about the history of Hylia as well, far more information than you could ever possibly hope to find within a book. I do not understand why she never would have told you of your past, though. It makes no sense." Zelda looked to Link and sneered, though the expression wasn't directed at him.

"That's because you don't know her." Zelda stood up and walked towards the door. Turning, she looked to Sia. "Let _me_ tell _you_ something, Sia. My Grandmother is a _very _vile woman. She is rude, conceited, controlling, and overall a very unpleasant person to be around. While she is cunning, she does not use her wit for joy. She lies. That's why she never told me. She _never_ wanted me to know!"

With that said, Zelda opened the door and walked out, slamming it behind her. Sia and Link stared at the door, awestricken. Only when the kettle on the stove began to whistle did Link and Sia look away from the door. Sia quickly removed it from its place and set it upon the counter next to it, silencing it for the most part. With a sigh, she turned to Link and looked him in the eye.

"She is angered." Sia stated simply. "I have the feeling she tends to get like this a lot?"

"Unfortunately..." Link replied. "Her Grandmother upsets her the most, any little thing. But this..."

"This is not a little thing." she finished.

"Yeah." The two shared a moment of silence, trying to come up with something to say.

"Link," Sia started, "go and find her. Return to Ordon, for I feel she will want to return there as well. Find answers to assure that she is the Princess, which I have no doubts about. Once that is done, leave for the Capital of Hylia. There you will find a large castle town surrounding the royal castle. Schedule a meeting with the king and queen, and convince them that Zelda is their missing daughter. Get her to safety. I now know you had to rescue her, Link. Whatever evils are after her are obviously larger than a simple threat, otherwise you would not be dressed as you are, and you would not have been asked to carry out such a task." Link nodded, noting every instruction in his head.

"I'll keep her safe and get her to Hyland. I'll do anything in my power to protect her; regardless if she's a princess or not." Link said to assure Sia. Sia smiled at him and pushed off of the counter that she had been leaning on.

"Do not do anything out of your power, Link. Your task is to protect Zelda, but it is also to keep yourself safe. Do not wear yourself out." Sia commanded with a stern tone. Link smiled and nodded once more. Sia extended a hand for Link to shake. He took it.

"And should you need anything, anything at all, come here to Skyview." she said, their hands slipping away from the other's. "I will _gladly_ help, as will my Grandfather, Elder Padralot. I will tell him of the circumstances, and I am sure he will understand."

Sia paused and the two stood, waiting for one or the other to officially say goodbye. Finally, Sia spoke.

"I wish you luck, Link. I wish the best to the both of you."

"Thanks," Link said with another small smile. Link left Sia's home and headed outside where he found Zelda leaning up against the side of the house, eyes closed, and one hand raised to a temple.

"I want to go back to Ordon." Zelda declared, opening her eyes. "I want to find answers. She has them in that house somewhere, and I know it." Zelda began to walk off towards a dirt path that led out of the village and back to the road, according to a nearby sign. Zelda turned to Link, impatience written across her face. "Well? What are you waiting for? Let's _go!_"


	11. Chapter 10

_This chapter is mostly filler, but then again a couple other chapters have been filler too, so whatever. You will get to see though how Zelda and Link interact with one another on a regular basis!_

_One more thing! You kind of need to know this for later on. So, they have dinner and some of that dinner is meat, which is preserved through what is called a "meat safe" which is a box that has holes in it to let air circulate through it while the meat inside of the safe is wrapped up in a soaked cloth so that it can keep cool. The meat is on a ceramic plate, and there you have it: a meat safe._

_Enjoy!_

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Link and Zelda traveled back to Ordon, taking just about thirty or so minutes to walk through Faron Woods. Neither of the two said a word to one another, for Zelda was too angry to speak and Link had nothing to say. When they arrived, Zelda rushed off to her home while Link made way for his.

"I'll be here should you need me," Link called down to Zelda from his balcony as she stormed into the village. She paid him no mind. Link frowned and opened the door to his home, stepping inside. His house felt warm and inviting, safe and secure. He let out a sigh of relief as he walked towards his large and tattered chair. Taking off his sword and shield, he plopped down on the chair and swung his legs over the arm rest. It was a nice piece of furniture, or so it had been at one time, and it was a memory of his parents since it had belonged to them before they perished.

His mother would sit here with him on her lap as she sewed and told stories of the Legendary Hero and other tales that would have amused his childish mind. Link frowned for a moment and glared at the ceiling_. Legendary Hero. Hmph._ He went back to the thoughts of his mother, with her incredibly curly blonde hair and deep green eyes. He thought of her playful manner, the way she would tease his father, annoying him but endearing him at the same time.

Link's father was someone he'd loved as well. He had been a burly man with much darker hair than Link's mother, a thick mustache, and a rectangular face. He had been becoming wrinkled and worn in Link's later memories of him, but his blue eyes had seemed to retain a youthful spark. He used to help to tell the stories with Link's mother, often drawing or painting a scene of the Hero or the Reborn Goddess. Link still kept most of the illustrations though he hadn't seen them in quite some time for they were locked away in a chest of his.

Link smiled and closed his eyes, reminiscing about old times. He smiled as he pictured scenes with his parents as well as a little Zelda. The two of them would always have gone to the ranch to play with the animals, sometimes teasing them. He remembered how they would take turns riding Yu-May and Ruis's old black stallion, Burtus, around the ranch, trying to help Ruis to corral the animals when in fact, they were not. He remembered the day Zelda had received Epona; it was for her sixth birthday. Link smirked to himself, remembering Zelda's excitement and his own.

As he continued to dwell on the past, he slowly became drowsy. Soon, it became hard for him to keep his eyes open any longer and he eventually gave into sleep. Link dreamt about the past and, for once in a long time, had a peaceful sleep.

~...~...~...~...~

"HEY! GET UP!" Someone yelled, making Link jump and roll off of the chair he'd been sleeping on. "I swear, you are the absolute laziest person I've ever known." Link opened his eyes and looked up from the floor to see Zelda standing over him impatiently, her arms crossed and a pout on her lips.

"What was so important that you had to yell at me to wake me up?" Link asked, grumpy. He sat up and leaned forward as he rubbed the crust out of his eyes. He looked up to Zelda, waiting for a reply.

"Nothing, but you know that I always have to do that if I want to get you up." Link rolled his eyes and stood up, yawning and stretching. He brushed some hair out of his eyes, and as he did so he felt the rim of the conical hat he was wearing. Grunting, he pulled it tighter on his head to secure it into place. He reached down to where he'd placed his sword and shield and slid them on over his head.

"So have you found anything?" Link asked as they began to walk out of his house.

Zelda sighed. "No, I haven't. She doesn't have anything written down, no books, no letters of any kind, and not even any regal memorabilia! She knew what she was doing. I know she's hiding it from me." Zelda informed. She opened the door and headed out, sliding down the ladder and onto the ground, Link following suit.

"Well," Link started as he slid, "what if... she doesn't know?" Zelda looked to him, confused for only a moment.

"She has to know, Link. You heard what Sia said. She's my Grandmother, and I know she was the one who was entrusted with me. When I remembered her, she was younger, but she still had the same wretched looks." she replied with a smirk. Link shrugged, not willing to argue with her.

"So what are we doing if you've already looked?" Link asked.

"We are going to go round up the animals in the village. There are many of them."

"We're just going to lock them up in the ranch?" Zelda nodded in reply.

"Provided the entire stable was most likely burned down to nothing, I'd say yes."

The two walked on into the village where Link saw what Zelda had told him. Animals were scattered all throughout the village. The cows grazed by the small creek that ran through the town, goats grouping in front of Yu-May and Ruis's home as well as Lyss and Loem's. The chicken walked around the village, keeping mostly to themselves.

"You do realize that we aren't going to get the chicken, right?" Link asked.

"Well, you may not be able to, but I'm sure that the cuccos won't attack me." Zelda said cockily. "Oh, and be careful with the goats as well." Link rolled his eyes and began to walk over to the small group of cattle surrounding the creek. He tugged on the collars that adorned their necks in order to get their attention and began to lead them towards the other side of the village. He stopped occasionally, checking to confirm whether or not they were following him. Zelda soon began following behind Link with her own group of goats.

Once they had led their animals up the hill and to the ranch, they were finally able to see what the damage was. The entire stable was burned down, save for a small section of the back wall. The grass surrounding the stables was burned to a black crisp, not even the slightest amount of green near the ruins of the building. Both Link and Zelda were heartbroken at the sight, though they both had known what to expect.

"Link... the stables... they're all gone..." As they led the animals into the ranch, more evidence of violence from the day's attack was evident. A dead goat was lying on the ground far across the ranch. "I can't bear to think of what could have happened should they have gotten a hold of the villagers." Zelda said quietly, sadly. Link slowly turned his head to her, his mouth hanging slightly open, and his eyes expressing a forlorn emotion. She looked at him, a sad frown upon her lips. Zelda sighed and turned away to pet a goat. Link closed his mouth and looked over to the dead goat across the ranch.

"We gotta bury it." Link declared suddenly. Zelda turned to him, momentarily shocked, but she soon nodded to him.

"I'm sure Yu-May and Ruis have a shovel or two. I don't think they'd mind the two of us breaking and entering," Zelda joked. Link nodded and the two began to jog down to their house. Zelda checked the door and found it to be open. They entered and looked around for Ruis's tools, which they soon found hanging upon a wall in the back of the house. Two shovels hung there, just as Zelda had predicted. Link and Zelda grabbed a shovel each and left the house, quickly heading back to the ranch.

"I think we should let it rest somewhere's nice, somewhere it can be at peace. Where are we going to bury it, Zelda?" Link asked.

Zelda scanned the area, looking for an appropriate place of burial. "Aha," she muttered, smiling. "Over there. We'll bury the goat in the middle of the ranch." Link nodded, and the two ran over to the agreed place of rest and began to dig. They dug a rather deep hole, going down into the earth about four and a half feet. It was nearly two feet wide, with a length of just about five foot.

Link climbed out of the hole first and helped Zelda up and out. They hurried over to the dead animal, ready to finally bury it. As they neared the dead creature, they were able to see the cause of its death more clearly.

"It's an arrow." Link said. He kneeled down and inspected it. The arrow had traveled straight through the goat's fleshy middle, causing it to die of blood loss. Link frowned and grabbed the shaft of the arrow and pulled it out of the animal's side. He threw the arrow off to the side, satisfied that the projectile was removed.

"Come on, Link. We gotta get this done quick." Zelda told him softly. Link nodded in agreement. They each picked up a pair of legs, Zelda grabbing the front and Link lugging the back. When they reached the grave, they placed the goat down next to the hole and took a short break. "We'll lower it in carefully, and then we'll bury it. Sound like a plan?" Zelda asked.

"Mhmm." Link replied with a nod. With that, the two carefully lowered the goat into its grave and proceeded to shovel dirt back into its grave. When the grave was full and no more dirt was left to shovel in, the sky had become a warm yellow and the evening had begun. Both Zelda and Link were tired from the physical labor, but the two knew that it was for the best.

"Hold on," Zelda said. She ran off to another side of the ranch and picked something. When she returned, in her hands were some flowers. They were not the prettiest things, but it was the thought that counted. She planted them delicately into the center of the mound and stood back up. The two stood in silence as they looked over the grave in the twilight.

"Well?" Zelda asked, nudging Link's side. "Aren't you going to say something?" Link looked at her with a raised eyebrow. He looked down at the grave and opened his mouth but was unable to say anything.

"Uhh," he started, "he was, a, um, great goat... He always.. listened, I guess... he never really acted up...um...hmm..." Zelda turned to Link with an irritated frown upon her face.

"Can't you do any better than that?" She asked. Link slowly shook his head at her. "Ugh, fine." Zelda turned her head down to face the grave and she paused before she spoke. "This goat is a sign of what could have happened to our people. The people that we know and love. Had... had it been one of the children or one of their parents in place of this goat, then perhaps we'd be burying a friend rather than an animal. I... I'm thankful for this goat being sacrificed, thankful for it being there instead of a person. A member of the heard will be missed, and we will remember him." Zelda closed her eyes and let her head fall.

"That was... surprisingly deep. I-"

"Shush!" Zelda snapped. Link shut his mouth and the two stood there in silence, quietly mourning and thanking the goat.

_Zelda's right. It's fortunate the goat was there instead of a person. Why didn't I think of that? _

~...~...~...~...~

Link and Zelda managed to round up the rest of the goats, but left the chicken in the village due to unsuccessful captures. The goats had been rounded up just before their sunlight had run out, leaving them with only the slightest hint of day. They put out whatever feed for the animals that they could, the little amount of it found near Yu-May's home. Once done, both Zelda and Link had believed they'd earned time to relax, and so they headed back to the village after locking up the ranch.

The two rested near the Ordonian pond, both sticking their feet into the cool water as they watched fish swim by.

"This is nice." Zelda said with a smile.

"Yeah," Link replied. A long period of silence was shared between the two. Zelda sat contented as she kicked her feet around in the water, chasing the fish that swam near away. Link watched her movements in the water as he let his mind slip away to fleeting thoughts. Finally, Zelda spoke up and pulled him back into reality.

"Link?" she asked with a childish tone of inquiry.

"Hmm?" Link asked as he looked up. Zelda didn't look up to him, but continued to stare into the water as she kicked away at the fish.

"Why are you dressed like the Hero of the Sky?" Zelda looked up to him and he looked away, taking in a breath through his mouth and letting it out through his nose. "Well?" He hesitated to answer, not knowing what to say. "Come on Link, there has to be a reason."

"Zelda," he started as he turned to her, "I..." He sighed. He had no idea what to say.

"Does...does it have anything to do with me being a supposed...Princess?" Link swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded as he thought of his journey to the Sacred Realm. Zelda looked out into the pond like Link and another silence passed between the two. "The more and more I know, the truer it seems." Zelda paused and turned back to Link. "I think Ganondorf was right... I think I'm the Princess." Another pause. "But... I have to hear it from my Grandmother. She needs to say it. She needs to admit whatever she knows. Only then will I leave for the Capital of Hylia."

Surprise overtook Link's face as he stared into the water. "What happens to everyone here in Ordon, though? What happens to your friends, your family?" Zelda was offended by Link's questions and tone, for her hurt expression plainly displayed it. Link did not apologize to her even when he saw the emotions etched on her face.

"Link, it's not like I'd completely forget about everyone here!" Zelda defended.

"Oh, so you'd only partly forget," he replied coldly. Zelda furrowed her eyebrows and opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Link folded his arms and gave her a sideways glance.

"No! I would never ever forget the place I've called home! And that's even if I am a Princess. Maybe I've just made every memory I've had up just so I can hope to belong somewhere; I don't know. But Link, even if I were to become some form of royalty, I couldn't forget everybody. I love all of you too much to ever do that."

Zelda lightened up, and she suddenly smirked. "And even if I did forget everyone, the one person I wouldn't forget would be you." Link perked up and turned to her, but he was still frowning. "Oh come on, doesn't that make you happy?" she asked, punching him lightly in his left arm. He smiled and quietly laughed.

"Besides," she said, "I want you to come with me, if I go. It'll end up being like a vacation of sorts, ya know? We've both never been anywhere but here and Faron Woods, so I think it would be nice to go somewhere's new. A castle town... hustle and bustle, lots of people to meet, places to go... Link, it'll be great!" Link smiled once more at her enthusiasm. He was never one to stay mad anyway, especially at Zelda. "So would you go with me?"

Link paused before answering, though his mind was already made up. He smiled and nodded to her, causing Zelda to practically beam. "Great! I knew you'd go Link!" she shouted as she hugged him. "Now," she said as she pulled away from the hug. "I'm starving. Do you want some dinner? I know I do!" Zelda hopped up and shook the water off of her feet. She leaned down and picked up her sandals and began to walk off to her house. Link jumped up and followed, grabbing his boots as he went.

Once they were inside Zelda's home, they went to Zelda's pantry where they found quail meat inside of her meat safe, wrapped up goat cheese, and half a loaf of bread. The two started a fire in her fireplace and proceeded to cook the meat. Once the bird was done cooking, they took it out of the fire and began to cut it into fairly thick slices. They assembled sandwiches made of cheese and the cooked quail and enjoyed it, though the meal was rather bland.

"Ganondorf had a big nose." Zelda stated suddenly as she chewed on her sandwich. Link nearly choked on his meal as he laughed.

"What?!" Zelda smirked at him.

"Don't deny it! He had the largest nose I've ever seen on a person! His ego is probably the only thing to beat the size of it, and not even by much!" The two laughed with one another as they continued to pick on Ganondorf. "And what about his skin?" she asked. "What person has green tinted skin? And with fiery red hair? He looks ridiculous! If Ganondorf is any representation of the women of the Gerudo, they must have a hard time getting married."

"So the question is, do they look as good as they thieve?" Link asked. Zelda pointed at him as she swallowed another bite of her sandwich.

"Mmm! Mmhmmm, yes exactly!" Link rolled his eyes but smiled as he continued to eat. "I'm sure the Gorons and Zora are more appealing than they are." She paused and looked up, stopping her chewing. "Then again, how much can you expect from a tribe of bandits? They can only do so much for themselves."

"But if they steal, then shouldn't they be able to purchase or trade for things such as a facial powder or lip coloring?" Link asked.

"In theory, yes. But, you know how thieves are. They'll take anything they want and keep it, whether it is a good or currency, but they'll never give it up." She began to make another sandwich as she smirked.

"So why couldn't they steal it then?" he asked. Zelda paused a moment and looked up in thought.

"I suppose they could. Doesn't mean they will." Link shook his head at Zelda with a small smile on his face. "What?"

"You can't base their looks on Ganon, Zelda. It's just not right." he stated as he took the final bite of his first sandwich.

"You're only saying that because you're imagining beautiful desert women, right?" Link once again choked on his meal, though this time he was not laughing. His face flushed and he became embarrassed beyond belief.

"N-no!" He claimed. "Why would I?"

Zelda shrugged at him as she finished constructing her next sandwich. "Maybe because you're a man. Men tend to do that."

"Like women are any better?" he challenged.

"Women only dream of their ideal man, my dear, ignorant Link. Whatever fantasies they have of this man are up to them, and they can change over time. Both the fantasies and the men, I mean." Zelda declared proudly.

"And you know this because...?" Zelda looked at Link with an odd expression, as if to say 'Oh really?'

"I know of this because I am a woman myself, and in each woman's brain is an imprinted set of rules by which we follow. I also know this for I too have an ideal man, as every woman has." she answered simply.

"And who would that be?" Link asked her. She paused mid-chew and looked up in thought.

"Hmm...well, he'd have to be tall, at least taller than me. His skin would probably have to be a nice and even tan, but it shouldn't be too dark unless his hair and eye color complement it. He wouldn't be pale though, or at least he shouldn't be so pale that you could compare his skin to milk. His eye would be...grey. Grey would give him a bit of mystery or something, I don't know. Hair color would depend upon his skin, as I said they go hand in hand, as you can see the grave mistake Hylia made when creating Ganondorf. My ideal man would also have to be toned and not scrawny and weak." Zelda continued to think as she stared into space. "Do you think I'm asking for too much? I think I am."

Link shrugged at her. "I'd think as long as his personality balanced out his looks, then it would be okay."

"Well, I don't want him to be a jerk, Link. Perhaps he could be a bit big? That way, he could be nice. I don't know. I'll probably change my mind eventually, like every woman does." she said with a roll of her eyes. "So, what type of woman would you like, seeing as we're on this subject? A strong warrior Gerudo woman for ya, huh?" Zelda asked with a wink. Link slapped himself in the face at Zelda's statement as Zelda laughed. "Well come on, it doesn't have to be a Gerudo; I'm only teasing."

"Well I knew that," Link said as he pulled his hand away from his head. "I guess I don't really know what the perfect woman would be for me," he said truthfully. "It wouldn't matter so much what she looked like, so long as she acted well. I guess I'd just have to meet her before I chose her." Link looked back to Zelda who was glaring at him.

"Booooring." she said as she finished off her second sandwich. "You have to have something- someone, in mind. You can't just be a prince charming who will love any girl that he finds. Everyone's got some flaw or impractical romance. Just go ahead and say it!" Zelda urged.

Link hesitated to answer as he conjured up his response. "I guess she'd have to be pretty." He said simply.

"Elaborate. I'm not letting you off that easily."

"She would have to have a pretty face; an upturned nose between blue or green eyes, the face shape of a heart. Her hair would be long and some shade of brown. She'd have a thin frame, but she'd be strong and able to take care of herself. As for what her personality would be like? She'd have a bit of an outspoken side to her, but she'd be generally nice and intelligent; a leader." He answered quickly. He knew his face was still flushed, and he waited for Zelda to say something about it; to tease him.

Zelda stared into space and shrugged. "Sounds like she'd be a keeper, though I did think you'd go for someone who was...hmm... a bit daring?"

"I did say she was a leader, doesn't that make her daring?" Zelda shook her head.

"No, being a leader doesn't make you daring. You can be a leader but not be daring because you could be in a situation where everything is total chaos and you asked for none of it, but you have to be the one to take over. A daring person would be the person who started that mess, but they couldn't deal with the aftermath. You can have a daring leader too, though, if you wanted."

"Ah, I see. Thanks for clearing that up for me Zel." Link said sarcastically.

"Anything for you my dear Link." she replied equally sarcastic. Both Link and Zelda prepared another sandwich for themselves and ate silently by the dying fire. When they both were done, the two picked up the left overs and trash and properly did away with both. As they finished cleaning, Zelda went out and fetched a bucket of water to put the fire out with. When she returned, she carefully poured the water over the burning logs, making sure to get every inch of the fireplace soaked. Once everything was finally done, Link prepared to take his leave.

"Well, I guess this is it. There's nothing else that you'll need help with?" he asked.

"No, there shouldn't be." She replied with a shake of her head. "Why, you're leaving?"

"Yeah. I want to get to sleep." Zelda rolled her eyes at him.

"That's all you ever want to do," she teased. "I guess it's okay though, because I'm tired too. Alrighty then, I'll see you in the morning, I guess."

"Okay, Zelda. Goodnight." With that, Link left Zelda's home and headed for his own. He climbed the ladder into his house, then the ladders up to his 'bed', which consisted of a few throw pillows, a rug, and a quilt. Here, he took off his sword and shield; he removed his boots, then finally his hat. He left on his tunic, belt, gauntlets, and chainmaile due to a simple laziness and desire for sleep. Link finally lay down on his makeshift bed and covered himself with his thick quilt, happy to be able to settle in for the night.

He soon became drowsy but was unable to completely go to sleep. Link did not know how long it had taken him, but now he was finally able to sleep. As he fell into sleep, he did not notice the creak of his old wooden door coming from below in his house. Silently, an intruder crept into his home and up the ladder to his bed. When they finally reached Link, they crouched down on their knees and leaned down towards him.

"Link?" they asked, causing Link to open his heavy eyes. "Are you still awake?"

"Huhh? What?" he asked deliriously. "Who's it?"

"It's me, Zelda." she whispered. "Can I sleep over here tonight?"

"Oh, mmm, yeah, sure." Link answered, still half asleep. Zelda smiled and rolled her eyes as Link turned over to face away from her. She grabbed one of the many pillows that Link owned and placed it down where she planned to rest her head. Zelda lifted the quilt and slid under it enough so that her movements didn't disturb Link and so that it was able to just cover her completely. She turned on her right side, facing away from Link and she stared into the darkness of his home.

"Thanks Link..." she whispered.

"Wha?" Link asked as he stirred, still practically asleep as he responded to his name. Zelda shook her head.

"Nothing." Link relaxed again and was soon lightly snoring. Zelda smiled to herself and soon found that she herself was falling asleep. Quietly before she nodded off, she whispered: "Thanks Link...for saving me..."


	12. Chapter 11

_Hey, thanks a lot for continuing to read, if you've been reading, lol. Another person has added this story to their watch, and that person is saphira54325. Thank you very much for that!_

_Read, review, but most of all, enjoy!_

* * *

Link woke up early, at least for him. Yawning, he turned over and saw Zelda sleeping by him. This did not come as a shock to him. On a regular basis Zelda would sneak into his home at night while he was in his delusional half-state of sleep and ask him permission to sleep over. He of course would always consent to it. Normally, however, Zelda was usually the one to wake up first. Link sat up and stretched out his arms, careful to not disturb Zelda. He climbed down the ladders to the main floor of his home where he went to his own little kitchen. There he found some bread and cheese, which he ate as his morning meal. He left some for Zelda for whenever she would wake up.

Once he was done, he climbed back up the ladder and grabbed his new boots, sword, and shield. Link climbed down the ladder once more and slipped on his shoes. Now he was ready to go out.

Link headed outside and climbed down his ladder and headed into town. No one was here still, and Link hoped in his heart that all of his friends had gotten away safely and that they'd return soon.

He decided to hike out to the ranch to check on the animals. Some of the chicken had returned to the closing, but most had remained in the village. The animals seemed happy and contented for the most part, but they did seem to be a bit skittish. He did notice that none of the animals went near the center of the ranch where he and Zelda had buried the dead goat. He guessed the reason was one of two options: One, the animals recognized the death of another in some way or another, or two, the animals were thrown off by the new addition to the land. Whatever the reason, he knew it bothered them.

After that, Link returned to the village and walked around. The silence of his town depressed him and gave him the feeling of loneliness. The children normally kept him and Zelda busy, as well as their parents. The children's parents always were doing something as well; Ruis would always be finding something to fix, and Dari's mother would always be in her shop tending to her goods. Loem and Lyss's parents usually lazed about, but they were good people who watched over the children as they did so.

Link sadly smiled as he thought of everyone. Well, all but one. Zelda's Grandmother was the one person who didn't seem to make a difference to him whether or not she was safe. As horrible as the thought was, it was true. Besides, she would most likely be able to handle herself and the villagers should something ever happen to them.

Link left the village and passed his home, heading to the Ordonian spring.

The spring was a place of comfort for people, and Link was no exception to that common fact. He'd thought that maybe if he were to go there for a while and relax, that maybe his mind would be eased of worry and lonesomeness. He arrived at the gates of the spring and opened them. He slipped off his boots and carried them to the edge of the water where he sat down and leaned back on his hands as he stuck his feet into the cool water.

Link soon came to peace as he relaxed in the morning sun, all worries and troubles leaving his mind. He sat there for quite some time, just doing nothing, when someone entered the spring. He turned his head to the gate as he heard the person entering, and he wasn't surprised when he saw Zelda standing there. She was dressed in a new outfit, consisting of brown pants and a new white shirt, that of which had been hand-sewn by her. Her hair was in a long braid that reached just below her back, held together with a tightly tied ribbon. She was barefooted as well, which was a common occurrence for her. A new sword hung at her hip in place of the one she'd lost the previous day.

Zelda gave a half smile to Link. "Morning," she said.

"Morning." Link replied with a smile. Zelda came and sat cross legged down by Link. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah. I'm surprised I slept longer than you!" she exclaimed. "Oh, and thanks for letting me sleep over last night."

Link rolled his eyes. "Intruder." he said flatly. Zelda acted as though she were taken aback.

"Intruder?! Well I'd never!" Link shook his head and laughed. He looked out into the water for a moment, but then turned to Zelda and looked down. The first thing he saw was the wound on her arm from yesterday. The gash wound was healing, so it seemed, for a long dark scab was within the deep cut. All around the sliced skin was pink flushed skin that hadn't been damaged.

"How's your arm?" he asked Zelda finally. She looked down to her upper right arm and shrugged.

"It's doing okay, I guess. It still hurts though; it's kind of a throbbing pain. I cleaned it yesterday, and I'm sure that if I continue to do that then it will be alright. No worries."

"Did you clean it with the spring water?" Zelda nodded in response.

"I came here to clean it, but seeing as you're here it can wait. Any who, have you checked on the animals? Are they doing well?"

"Yeah, they seem to be doing fine. They're still a bit shaken from yesterday, though." Link replied.

"Yesterday? Hmm, seems like it was longer than that. Too much happened yesterday, and none of it good." Zelda said with a frown. Link nodded in agreement. The two sat together in quiet for a moment or two, not having much to say.

"When do you think everyone will be back, Zel?" Link asked finally. She cocked her head to the side.

"I don't know, honestly. I'd imagine they'd all want to come back to the village to see if we've returned or not; you know how worried they can get about us." Zelda paused and looked down to the edge of the water. "Yu-May especially. She's always acted like a mother to me and you both." She smirked and inwardly laughed. "Remember when we were little how we'd got stuck in that huge tree? The entire village was scrambling to find us!"

"Yeah, and if I remember correctly, you are the one who got us into that mess." Link pointed out.

"Oh, like you didn't want to climb the tree. You got higher up than I did!" Zelda exclaimed.

"So? I didn't get into as much trouble as you." Link stated.

"Right. When Yu-May and my Grandmother were scolding us, they nagged you more than me!" Link laughed at the memory.

"Yeah, but my parents didn't reprimand me for it."

"That's because your parents could really care less about what you did! Yu-may had to punish you for it! We were both harvesting the pumpkins without help that year, remember?" Link nodded as he continued to laugh.

"What about the time we went over to Faron Woods for the first time alone?" Link asked.

"Oh, GODS they hated that! Even your parents scolded us for once. Hide and seek in those woods was rough, too. Briers probably left me with scars to this day." Link shook his head with a smile as he thought about the mischief that he and Zelda used to so often get into. He supposed that now what they used to do was considered childish, and that perhaps it was why the young group of children in Ordon now got into so much trouble.

"Do you ever wonder what the kids do when no one watches over them?" Link asked. Zelda shrugged.

"Probably the same kind of stuff that we used to do. They just don't get caught." The two continued to quietly sit by the spring, just enjoying one another's company. After about five minutes of sitting, Zelda stood up and walked towards the exit of the spring. Link turned and watched her.

"Where are you going?" he asked as he turned.

Zelda shrugged. "Home. There's nothing to do here, but I'm sure I'll find something at home. You can come if you want." Link pushed himself up off the ground and he decided to follow her. They slowly walked along towards the village, but Zelda jerked around as they were walking, making Link stop and become alert. Her right ear twitched.

"What is it?" he asked, drawing his sword.

"Did you hear that?" They paused, both listening close. "There it is again!" They turned to the bridge crossing the ravine, and ran toward it. Off in the distance, the noise they'd heard became clearer. Zelda turned to Link with a smile on her face.

"Epona!"

The two sheathed their swords and charged across the bridge and into the clearing within the woods. They waited impatiently in the clearing, but soon heard Epona's hoof beats against the dirt and the sound of a squeaky wagon trailing behind them. Finally, the appearance they'd been waiting for occurred. Epona was charging through the woods, led by Zelda's Grandmother and Ruis as it was when they left. Ruis spotted Link and Zelda, and both Link and Zelda could see shock in his features.

"STOP!" his deep voice bellowed. Zelda's Grandmother pulled Epona to a sudden halt, causing the wagon to jerk forward.

"What did we stop for?!" Loem and Lyss's mother, Myrdi, shouted from the back of the wagon as she stuck out her head. She turned her head from the direction of the front of the wagon back to the end of it. In front of her, she saw both of the beaming teenagers standing behind the wagon. "Link?! Zelda!" With awkward movements, she climbed out of the back of the wagon and ran over to the both of them.

Myrdi took them within her beefy arms and hugged them tight. "Oh we were so worried about you! Are ya'll okay?!" she asked as she continued to hold them tight. Though she was short, she was big and powerful. She practically squeezed all the air out of their lungs, leaving them breathless.

"Um, Myrdi?" Zelda asked with a raspy voice. "We need to breathe." Myrdi let them go, dropping them to the ground. All of the villagers seemed to pile out of the cart all at once, and they then proceeded to crowd around Zelda and Link. The crowd began to greet them and ask the two questions about how they'd been. Zelda and Link couldn't keep up with them, and were startled when Yu-May let out a yell.

"Quiet!" she called over the other villagers. Once silent, Yu-May pushed forward in the small crowd and looked between Link and Zelda. "Are you two alright?" she asked as she placed a hand on Zelda's cheek.

"Yes," they answered in unison.

"No injuries what-so-ever?"

"My arm's still bad," Zelda stated, "but I've been taking care of it." Yu-May turned to Link as she took her hand from Zelda's face, worry filling her eyes.

She clasped her hands and asked: "Are you alright, Link?" He nodded. "Good. I'm glad you're both safe." she said as she hugged them.

"Step aside," a gruff and raspy voice ordered. Zelda rolled her eyes and scoffed. Yu-May let go of both Zelda and Link as everyone looked to the source of the voice. Zelda's short Grandmother, Viti, stood with an indifferent look upon her face as she stared at her Granddaughter.

"What? What do you want?" Zelda asked with irritation present in her voice.

"To see my Granddaughter, though she obviously does not feel the same." Viti replied flatly. The two had a stare down with one another. "What has you even more insufferable than usual?"

Zelda grimaced at Viti and clenched her fists at her sides. Before Zelda could respond to her Grandmother, Yu-May stepped in.

"Er, why don't we all ride back to the village?" Yu-May suggested. Zelda forced herself to tear her vision away from her Grandmother and to look and Yu-May.

"You guys can ride," Zelda said, giving a sideways glance to Viti. "Link and I will walk by the wagon." Yu-May nodded and the group of villagers began to board the wagon once more. Viti was the last one to remain, glaring at her Granddaughter. She finally left Zelda alone and boarded the wagon, taking her place at the head of it.

Link let out a small sigh of relief, having expected to see a brawl go down between Zelda and her Grandmother. He knew that tension was immense between the two, due to Zelda's anger and Viti's intuition that Zelda was upset about something important. Eventually, this would not end well.

~...~...~...~...~

Once they'd all arrived back in the village, everybody piled out of the wagon and grouped together as one big happy family, with the exception of Viti who had bitterly left the group to go to she and Zelda's home. Ruis unhooked Epona from the wagon, and once she was free she ran over to Zelda who had been talking with some of the children. Zelda greeted her horse warmly, and Epona did the same in return. Epona also managed to greet Link, who she remained by as he stood away from the crowd of villagers who Zelda was speaking with.

Soon, Link heard a chuckle. He turned his head to his left to see Ruis standing by him and Epona now. "Epona's a good horse," he said as he patted Epona's neck. "Smart too. Sometimes I wonder if she can understand everything we say and do." Link smiled softly and stroked Epona's snout. "So tell me," Ruis said after a short silence, "why are you dressed like that?" Link's smile quickly faded and he looked down to his clothes. Green tunic, leather gauntlets, khaki pants, and boots. _Oh, good thing I'm not wearing the hat._

"Eh, it's a long story, Ruis... I don't think you'd understand." Link was not trying to be offensive, but that seemed to be the only honest way he could put it. He truly did not believe that Ruis would understand. Ruis looked at him, worried.

"Did anything happen while we were gone? Anything bad happen? To you and Zelda, I mean." Link knew that he could not hide the entire truth from Ruis, and so he nodded sadly in response. Ruis frowned at him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "No need to tell me, Link. Whatever it was, you're safe now, both of you. You don't need to worry about it anymore." Link nodded as Ruis patted his back, though he knew that he would continue to worry about it.

After their short conversation, the two headed to the small crowd of villagers. All the children and adults Link had known all his life were there, safe. He smiled at the sight, and as he neared, the villagers began to attack him with questions; the children, specifically.

"Link! Link! Link!" the children called in unison as they grouped around him. "Did you fight off any more monsters? What's with your clothes? Are you okay? Cool shield!" they all said at once. Link smiled and quietly laughed to himself as they did so. It amused him.

"Alright, alright! Settle down," said Zelda who was smiling at them as well. "One at a time, geez."

"So did you fight any more monsters?!" Loem asked quickly, a huge grin on his face causing Link laugh once again.

"Yeah," Link answered. "A couple."

"What about you Zelda? Did you fight any monsters?" Zelda looked to Link, an unsure expression on her face. Link shrugged to her, knowing what she was thinking.

"I guess you could say I fought one."

"Cool!"

The questions from the kids continued, with Dari asking about Link's clothes and why they looked like the ancient Hero's, a question Link was able to avoid thanks to the children's other questions and Zelda's deterrence. Min and Lyss wondered about the two's safety, Min mostly caring about Link's. Loem also continued to ask more questions about monsters, and Link decided to tell an exaggerated story about a large skulltulla he'd supposedly fought in the woods, but not one quite as big as the one that had bit into him. Both the children and adults were fascinated, but Zelda just frowned at him.

She worried about what he must have gone through in that temple, excluding the fight with Ganondorf. The way he described the fight with the skulltulla put images in Zelda's head that forced her to imagine Link being nearly injured or killed. _What else did you have to do? _She asked herself. _How many other creatures did you have to fight?_

Soon, Link finished his tall tale about the spider. He'd left out details such as being bitten through his abdomen and actually fighting the monster in an ancient temple, but he did not want to worry the villagers with that. He just thought the quick story of a fight would be nice to hear; comforting, almost, that Link was able to take care of himself and Zelda.

"Well," Myrdi said with a smile on her round face, "sounds like you two've been through a bit in the past day or two. So, I've figured something, for the whole village." Myrdi paused and looked around, a slightly devious smile on her lips. "We should have a feast! Celebrating the safety of everybody, and the reunion of us! I think it's a brilliant idea, don't you all think?"

Zelda and Link smiled at her, and the rest of the adults did as well. "Sounds like a plan," Link said, knowing Myrdi was not one to easily change her mind. Myrdi grinned from ear to ear.

"Great! Yu-May, Tess, you're comin' with me! Zelda, Link, you both know how to make pumpkin pie, right? Well, you can teach the kids how to gut out a pumpkin and how to cook it! We'll need maybe enough for four or five pies. Ruis, Breun, go out and hunt down a turkey big enough for everybody. And make it a clean shot, unlike last time." she said, directing her final comment towards her husband, Breun.

Everyone split up and headed to their jobs. Yu-May, Myrdi, and Tess (Dari's mother) headed to Myrdi's home by the creek side to bake bread and prepare a stuffing for the turkey they hoped to fill. Breun and Ruis headed out with bows and arrows to hunt down the turkey they were to eat later on. Zelda, Link, and the children went to Ordon's pumpkin patch where Zelda taught the kids how to pick a good pumpkin.

"There shouldn't be any blemishes or bruises on the pumpkin. See this one? This one has no bruises or discoloration on it. But, it's too shiny. It wouldn't be ripe enough. Now this one is fine, but it has a small bruise on it, but that's okay." Zelda picked the pumpkin and passed it around for each of the children to see. "Now that you've seen what you can choose, go around and pick a pumpkin." Zelda instructed, allowing the children to pick their pumpkins. As an after-thought, she added, "Show it to me before you pick it though!"

As the children contentedly went around, challenging one another to pick the "perfect" pumpkin, Zelda went to Link's side.

"So... it seems as though you lied about the spider," Zelda said, raising her eyebrows. "Who'd you lie to? Me or the villagers?" Link scratched his head, a cheesy smile on his face as Zelda looked at him with crossed arms, tapping her foot.

"Well, the villagers didn't need to know I'd fought a spider nearly the size of three houses combined." Zelda shook her head and scoffed at him. "They also didn't need to know you were abducted." Zelda nodded, agreeing with him.

"When are you going to tell me everything that happened?" Zelda asked.

"Later." Link replied, simply. The two left the conversation at that. They continued to help the children prepare the pumpkin by going to Myrdi's house where Zelda and Link taught the children how to bake the pumpkin. The children paid attention, Lyss and Min especially, to what Zelda and Link did closely. With their own pumpkins, they mimicked the things Link and Zelda had done. Once they'd done everything they needed to do with the pumpkins, they placed the pumpkins onto a tray and put the tray on top of the cauldron that was over a roasting fire.

Zelda allowed the children to go out and play as they waited for the pumpkins to bake. Link and Zelda remained inside and helped the women of the village with the turkey stuffing. They did so for a good fifteen minutes without interruption, but soon that peaceful streak ended. The door to Myrdi's home opened, letting in the bitter old woman that was Zelda's Grandmother.

"So, we are having a feast?" she asked no one in particular. Zelda slipped in cutting and Link looked to Zelda, who had a shocked expression as she acknowledged Viti's presence. Her surprise quickly turned to anger and Zelda grimaced as she continued to chop up her onion with stiff movements.

"Yes!" Myrdi answered her cheerfully, unaware of Zelda's anger. "Zelda and Link helped the kids with picking pumpkins, and they're helping us now while the pumpkins are baking over the fire."

"Hmph." Viti said, crossing her arms. Zelda sharply cut through the onion, causing the knife to slam onto the cutting board. "Something wrong?" Viti asked dryly. Zelda did not realize she had been talking to her, but when no one responded she spoke up.

"No." Zelda growled. Yu-May and Link both looked up to Zelda, Myrdi and Tess only glancing up from their work.

"Doesn't seem like it," her Grandmother stated. Zelda took the knife and stabbed it into the cutting board, now grabbing Myrdi and Tess's full attention.

"Um, Zelda," Yu-May started to console, but was cut off by Zelda who ignored her.

Zelda jerked around and faced her Grandmother, glaring fiercely at her. "Why did you even come here? You aren't going to help! Hell, you shouldn't even be coming to the dinner! You don't deserve to." Zelda spat at her.

"You forget that I do run this village, Zelda. I have an obligation to come." Viti replied calmly. Link frowned, as did the rest of everyone in the room.

"You sicken me," Zelda said, sneering. Her Grandmother shrugged. Viti then turned to Link, frowning at him.

"Even you? I know you're lowly, boy, but stooping down to cooking?" Link grimaced at the woman himself and put the knife he'd had down. Silence fell, and the tension was strong, stronger than it had been. Link was just waiting for the string representing it to pop.

"Well, uh, Viti, we have work to do." Yu-May said hesitantly. "I'd appreciate it if we were left to it. We would be able to get it done in time for dinner." Zelda's Grandmother glanced at Yu-May for a second.

Finally, Viti said: "Sure, I'll leave you to your kitchen work. I will see you all at sundown." As Viti turned to leave, Zelda opened her mouth to speak, but held her tongue. Her face was red and her fists were still clenched at her sides. As soon as her Grandmother shut the door, Zelda threw her hands up in the air and began to complain.

"For the love of Hylia that woman is disgusting!" Zelda shouted. "I don't understand what type of enjoyment she gets from insulting other people, but I'm getting sick and tired of it!"

"Zelda, don't say that." Yu-May said as she placed down her own tools and food and headed to Zelda. As Yu-May attempted to place her hands on Zelda's shoulders, Zelda jerked away from her and turned around. Yu-May once more was going to console her, but stopped. Sighing, she turned away from Zelda who'd started to cut the onions once more and headed back to her own work. Everyone took their attention away from Zelda and returned to their work, Link being the last to do so.

Link tried to resume cutting potatoes, but Zelda's sharp and loud cuts kept him from doing so. He looked to Zelda with a small frown on his face.

"What?" she asked angrily.

"Don't be so mad, Zelda." he said quietly.

"Why? So I can just let her push everyone around? Do you forget that she insults the villagers, save for the children thank the Goddess, and us? It's not fair, Link. She has no right in saying anything that she does." For a moment, she stopped cutting her onions and looked up. Her eyes were watery, whether from the onions or her Grandmother Link did not know. Sighing, she said, "I'm just sick of it, Link. Sick and tired." And with that, the two silently continued to prepare the turkey stuffing.


	13. Chapter 12

_Oooo, bitch warning for this chapter :P Perhaps you can guess who it will be? Maybe, maybe not, lol. I hope you like this chapter and don't think it's over done or anything, and if that is the case, go ahead and hate me for it. Seriously, go ahead and do it. Saying that because once I arrived at this part in BoA, I just had to rewrite it because I couldn't pull it off. Hopefully I did this time._ _Anyway, this is where the adventure kind of begins. Kind of. There's more filler after this, but still, it begins to take you places._

_Also, Zelda's portrait can be seen here: art/Zelda-348532507_

_Okay, enough of that. _

_Remember to read, review, enjoy! Review especially since I'm kind of an attention whore, lol :) _

* * *

The group of village women, Zelda, and Link had for the most part completed the turkey stuffing after an hour, having only needed a few more ingredients. Zelda and Link then moved onto finishing the pumpkin pie. They'd called the kids back to help, but Dari and Loem decided against helping for they found it boring. Zelda sat on the floor with Min and Lyss as she taught them the proper form and technique for gutting the pumpkins they'd baked. Link joined Yu-May as she prepared loaves of bread, seeing as Tess and Myrdi left to gather ingredients.

"Something went on yesterday," Yu-May said quietly as she twisted some dough. "What really happened, Link?" Link knew that a simple response of 'You wouldn't understand' would not keep Yu-May from poking and prodding. He sighed and stopped kneading his bread.

"Yu... would you believe me if I said I had to fight an evil man?" he asked quietly. Yu-May cocked her head to the side, her short dirty blonde hair following her movements. "He...he kidnapped Zelda," Link whispered. "He's the reason the village was attacked."

"Why would he kidnap her?" Yu-May asked him as she took her hands from the dough she'd been molding. Link looked over his shoulder and saw Zelda sitting happily with the two girls as she instructed them.

"Can I tell you everything after the feast, Yu?" Link asked as he turned back to Yu. Yu-May looked over to Zelda, understanding why he'd asked the question.

"Yes, you can. Come to my house after everyone has finished eating. You can tell me about it there." Link nodded. He knew he was held to his word now, and if he weren't to show up and tell her what had happened, he was sure he'd get a scolding from her later on. They continued to bake, and eventually Tess and Myrdi came back with the final ingredients for the stuffing. Breun and Ruis came not too long after with a large turkey that had been skinned and prepared for cooking.

The rest of the feast preparation went on smoothly without much interruption. The turkey was soon stuffed and seasoned, the pumpkin pies prepared to be baked, as well as the loaves of bread. All of the older villagers, including Link and Zelda, remained in Myrdi's large home where they chatted, drank sweet and aged mead, and joked with one another. Myrdi and Yu-May got into a bout that had been continued from a long lost conversation from some time ago. Everybody laughed as Yu-May scolded Myrdi as though she were an overbearing child for her brash actions and words from that time. Myrdi simply mocked her motherly demeanor.

"Oh, May no need to get your frilly panties in a twist over _my _actions; I know how I act and I know how to take care of myself!" Myrdi replied sassily as she took a sip of her alcoholic beverage. Yu-May placed her glass down onto the counter she sat on and folded her arms.

"Well Myrdi, you don't make it appear as though you do." Yu-May said. "For the Goddess's sake, you've gotten into more trouble than the children ever have! And this is in a small, quiet village!" Tess quietly laughed to herself as she took a sip of her drink.

"Some quiet village," she interjected. "This place has been attacked twice since I've lived here, and by the same monsters. It's a shame that's happened." Yu-May sighed and swung her legs back and forth as they hung over the counter.

"Yes, it is." Breun said sadly. "But, we can be thankful that nobody was lost this time." Everybody bowed their heads in sorrow, Link especially. As he looked down into his drink, his mind drifting off to memories of his late parents, Zelda placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to her and smiled.

"Let's not think about them now," Link said, directing it at everyone in the room. "We are supposed to be celebrating the safety of us, right? Let's just get this night over with without any more sadness, eh? Sound like a plan?" He asked. Ruis smiled at him, and raised his drink.

"Link, you're a good kid. Seems as though you think about everybody else's welfare and feelings instead of your own. Not many people are that selfless. Cheers, to you!"

"Cheers!" everyone said, raising their drinks in unison. They all took large swigs of their drinks, except for Link whose thoughts drifted back to his parents. He soon felt an arm sling around his shoulder, and he looked up to see Zelda comforting him once more.

"I miss 'em too, Link, but you've got all of us." she said with a small smile. "Now, drink the rest of your mead before I do; Breun's bringing around seconds!" Link smirked and drank the rest of his drink, making a face as the liquid traveled down his throat, burning it as it went. Zelda and Link took another serving as did the rest of the villagers, and once everyone had drank the rest of their alcohol, they resumed cooking. They took the pies and bread loaves out of the fire, and left the turkey roasting for some time longer.

Finally, when nearly everything was done, Myrdi asked for Zelda and Link to set up the picnic tables outside of her home for the meal. They quickly did so, putting out a table cloth, setting knives, forks, and spoons around the table, as well as plates. Zelda even added the touch of a small pumpkin and some leaves as a center piece. They were soon done with that and headed back in, where everybody had something to carry out to the tables.

Breun and Ruis carried the fully roasted turkey out first, Myrdi following next with two pies within her hands, and finally Tess and Yu-May carrying the bread loaves they'd baked. Yu-May asked for Link and Zelda to head back inside to fetch some spices for the food, glasses for everyone to drink with, and the two pitchers of milk that Ruis managed to get from the cows earlier on. Soon enough, sundown was approaching and everything was set into place. The children were soon coming back from the spring where they'd been playing, and set into place.

The villagers took their places, the children sitting by their parents, and their parents sitting next to one another. Link and Zelda squeezed in between Yu-May and Dari's mother Tess, neither of which minded their presence. Finally everybody was cramped together tightly on the benches, but nobody truly minded. They were all one big happy family, so why should it matter?

Everybody made themselves a plate grabbing large servings of bread, turkey, and pie. Breun, who sat on one end, went around and poured each person a glass of milk. Just as everyone was settled in and ready to eat, Viti appeared by the table.

"Everyone made a plate before I had arrived?" she asked the group haughtily. Zelda grimaced and stared down into her plate. Silence fell over the villagers, no one speaking up. Finally, Tess began to speak.

"Yes, and we apologize, Viti." she answered humbly. "What with the cooking and all, we lost track of time. We completely forgot that you were not present." Viti 'hmphed' and took her place at the head of the table, far from Zelda and Link.

"Well, pass me some turkey and bread, please." Zelda's Grandmother ordered politely, yet dryly. Tess reached across Zelda, who backed up ever so slightly to let her pass. Tess chose a large piece of bread for Viti, and passed a small plate that Myrdi had quickly filled for her with turkey to the end of the table. Zelda's Grandmother did not say thank you, but nodded once she'd received everything she wanted. After that, everyone returned to talking cheerfully and ate graciously. Well, almost everyone.

Zelda hardly touched her food as everyone around her ate to their heart's content. Link eventually noticed this as he was eating a slice of turkey.

"Zelda are you okay?" he asked, his mouth full. "You've hardly touched your food."

"I'm fine." she replied quietly. Link furrowed his eyebrows.

"You sure? Normally you'd be-"

"I'm fine Link!" she shouted at him. Everybody stopped eating and looked to Zelda.

"Zelda, are you-" Yu-May quietly began, but was cut off by Zelda.

"I said I'm fine." Zelda growled in response. She picked up her knife and fork and began to furiously slice through her turkey. Nobody went back to eating and continued to watch her, concerned. "What?!" she yelled. Everyone, save for Viti, was taken aback by her sudden outbursts.

"Girl," her Grandmother started, "you're upset, and you aren't hiding it very well," she said with a small chuckle. "I suggest you tell somebody what is the matter, whether it be me, Yu-May, or your pansy of a friend." Link looked up to Viti and glared, offended by her comment. "What? It's true."

"No it's not!" Zelda exclaimed angrily, jumping up from her seat. "You don't know what he's done in the past day, you don't know how much of a pansy he is or isn't; you have no idea, Viti, of what things he has accomplished."

"Like what? Knitting a sweater, sewing a pillow? Humor me." Viti challenged, resting her chin on her hands as she smirked. Zelda sneered.

"This is why I'm mad. YOU are the reason why I am mad. You are a sick, miserable old woman who has nothing better to do than to claim your own self-righteousness over others! You lie, too. You've lied to me, you've lied to me my WHOLE life about my past." At this point, Viti furrowed her eyebrows, utterly stumped.

"What are you talking about girl?" she asked, dumbfounded.

"Oh don't act like you don't know!" Zelda said, placing her hands on her hips. "You've lied to me about where I've come from, and who my parents are. You've lied about their death and everything else in between." Zelda's Grandmother immediately became mortified. A frown of horror and shock formed on her face as Zelda stepped out from the benches of the table.

"Zelda I-I-I-" Viti was stuttering, not knowing what to say; she'd been caught.

"You have nothing to say to me, do you? You know I'm right!"

"Zelda, it's not what you think!" she shouted quickly. Zelda frowned at her.

"Yeah, well, I have no proof to tell me other than what I think and know. Besides, like I've said, you've lied to me my _entire _life! Why should I believe you!? If you'd like to try and prove anything to me, I'll be at the house." With a sickly sarcastic grin, Zelda left the table as she walked sassily away from the tables and to her house.

"Zelda wait!" Viti called as she pushed from the table, nearly toppling her plate over. She fixed her plate and removed herself from the table. "Zelda!" she shouted once more as she chased after her granddaughter. Everyone watched as Viti ran to she and Zelda's home, still awestricken.

"Kids, help me pick up." Myrdi ordered politely, her voice lacking its usually playful tone.

The kids stood up and began to pick up their meals and headed to Myrdi's home. Breun and Ruis helped to pick up as well, carrying the turkey back inside. Tess collected the remaining bread and pies and followed. Link just sat there, staring into his meal remorsefully.

"Link, what went on yesterday?" someone asked urgently. Link looked up and saw Yu-May standing off to his right. He looked away from her and into his plate once more. Silently, he stood up and stepped over the bench he was sitting on. "Link?" he looked back to Yu-May, his concerned mother figure. He frowned and looked away from her.

"Yu-May, you wouldn't understand." Yu-May furrowed her eyebrows at him as he said that. Finally, Link began to walk away, heading for Zelda's house. He knew that Zelda and her Grandmother would get into a heated argument, perhaps one that was bigger than they'd ever gotten into. If that were the case, he would have to step in and calm Zelda down. As he was nearing the door, he listened closely to what was going on inside. It seemed to be quiet, quieter than he'd imagined.

Taking in a breath, Link opened the door a crack and peeked in. All seemed to be calm, which struck him as odd. He opened the door a tad bit more, and there it was. Shouting, yelling, screaming at one another. Viti and Zelda entered the main room of their home bickering with one another. They didn't seem to acknowledge the fact that their door was slightly opened, for they continued to argue without pause.

"Is that why I was never allowed to travel with Ruis and Yu-May to the capitol of Hylia?! Is that the reason I've only got books of ancient Hyland?! So you could hide my past from me!? Is that it?" Zelda screamed at her Grandmother.

"Zelda, I have my reasons for never telling you!" her Grandmother replied, a hint of regret in her voice. She sounded close to the door, Zelda sounding farther away. "I never wanted you to know because it would have been dangerous! Your LIFE could have been at stake! Hyland could have been at stake!" Suddenly, something sounding like a jar crashed near the door and Link flinched. "ZELDA!"

"You HORRIBLE old bat! Obviously what you've done never helped because I was still in danger this entire time! You're a horrible, lying, bitter old woman! I hope you rot for all of eternity!" Zelda shouted. A door slammed from the back of the house, Link guessing it to be Zelda's bedroom door.

"Zelda!" Viti cried pitifully as she ran towards Zelda's door. "Zelda open the door!" Viti began to pound on the door, still pleading for Zelda to open the door. Link, finally seeing it appropriate, stepped into the house and quietly shut the door behind him. Zelda's Grandmother did not take notice of his presence, for her persistent beating on the door must have blocked out the sound of his entrance.

"I'm not coming out!" Zelda yelled from behind her door. Viti's pounding on the door began to slow, and she eventually gave up. She leaned into the door, defeated so it seemed. Her body slowly gave out and she slid down the door until she was curled up on the floor. Link was saddened and shocked by Zelda's Grandmother, for he had never seen her like this, nor would he ever imagined her to be in such a state.

"Zelda, please understand that I did what I thought was good for you!" Viti cried pathetically from the floor as she looked up, her face wet and puffy from crying. "I did it because I never wanted you to ever have to worry about something greater than yourself, nor did I wish for you to ever be in danger."

"I'll say it again; obviously it didn't work!"

"Zelda!" Viti began to sob, at a loss for what to say. Link felt awkward just standing there, watching her. He was also angry at Zelda for bringing her Grandmother to such a point. So what if she were rude and over all undesirable? No need to make her worse off than she already was. Link remained standing by the door, unsure of what to do. Viti stay put by Zelda's door, crying. Soon, though, her sobbing had stopped enough for her to open her eyes and to catch up with her breath.

Viti caught sight of Link from across the room. Link bit his lip, expecting Zelda's Grandmother to be annoyed with his presence, irritated with him for inviting himself in, for a form of scolding from her. Instead, Viti was shocked. Suddenly, as Link was going to speak up and defend himself, Viti exclaimed, "Link!" Link was thrown off by her tone. It almost seemed...joyed, or maybe happy to see him.

"Link! Oh, I'm so glad you're here!" she told him as she hopped up and hurried over to Link. "Link," she whispered, "Zelda's mad; beyond mad, she infuriated with me! I need you to try and talk her out of her room. I need to speak with her, face to face and tell her why I've done these things!" Link frowned but nodded and carried out her wish. He approached Zelda's door with Viti following behind.

"Zelda?" he called out.

"What, Link?" Zelda yelled back. To Link, it sounded as though she were scrambling about her room by the way her voice traveled.

"Come out, your Grandmother wants to talk!" Zelda's shuffling paused for a moment, but no longer.

"If she wants to talk, she can speak through the door! We're conversing easily, so why can't she?" she asked sarcastically. Link scoffed and turned to Viti. Viti shook her head and motioned for Link to move away from the door. Link stepped back and allowed Zelda's Grandmother to take her place in front of Zelda's room.

"Zelda," she started slowly, "Zelda, I'm sorry I've lied to you. I just wanted to protect you! From the moment I was given you, and told of the raid on the castle... I, I just knew things would become worse eventually! I traveled into the woods with you and helped to establish Ordon, where I thought you'd be safe from the troubles of Hyland. I thought... I thought everything would work out wonderously, but it didn't, and I'm sorry. I don't know how many times I can say it Zelda! I'm sorry!"

Zelda did not respond, and all sounded still in her room. Soon, her door unlocked with a click, and she opened it up. Link and Viti both became hopeful, expecting Zelda to have come to her senses. When the door swung open to reveal her full form, their hope was quickly gone. She was dressed in her swordplay outfit, consisting of a white tunic that reached her mid-thigh, cut at the lower sides, a chainmaile suit, and high laced up leather boots that reached to just under her knees. A sword hung at her hip, as per usual, but a longbow and quiver were strung across her back, which was not a typical sight.

Zelda looked down to her Grandmother with a stoic, and perhaps even saddened, expression. A moment of silence passed as the two stared at one another. Finally, Zelda broke the silence.

"You'll never be able to say it enough." There was a pause as Zelda's bitter words stung Viti deeply. They stared at each other until Zelda looked up and walked away. Viti watched her go and began to cry into her hands once more. Zelda walked out of the house, not even sparing a passing glance for Link as she went. Once she'd shut the door behind her, Link turned away from the door and looked back down to Viti. He still did not know whether to comfort her or to leave her be, but he decided to simply place a hand on her shoulder.

Zelda's Grandmother paused for a moment, and looked up to him. She swallowed a lump in her throat and finally spoke.

"She, she told me about yesterday. Ganondorf kidnapped her." Viti paused and wiped some tears from her eyes, but to no avail. "I, I should have known he was more closely associated with the raids than I'd imagined. Perhaps he was there in the first one, too, waiting to snatch her away." Viti looked down and starred off into space, her shoulders drooping as she let her hands fall. "He's going to bring terror to this country again, I just know it."

Viti sighed and closed her eyes. "Link, I can read that girl like a book, as I am sure you can. She is going to want to go to the Capitol of Hylia, this I know. Go with her. Protect her on the way. She may be great at fighting and defending herself, but she cannot do it all on her own. And as is obvious with your clothes, you have been chosen to do such a thing." Link gulped as he looked down to his clothes. Once more, Viti sighed and Link looked up. "I'm sorry, Link..." she said quietly, "For everything I've ever done to you both, and the villagers. I'm sorry."

Link frowned out of sympathy for the old woman. He understood that she had been trying to protect Zelda, though he did not agree with how she went about it, and he also understood why she was sarcastic, blunt, and overall unpleasant. It was her nature to do so. Though Link still saw her as the insulting old woman that he'd grown up knowing, he'd just witnessed the gentler, more sincere side of her. A side he was sure most people had never known. And for that, Link grew a soft spot for her, for that was in his nature to do so.

Link removed his hand from Viti's shoulder and lowered it to his side. He hesitated to leave her, unsure whether he should or shouldn't, but eventually made up his mind. He slowly walked through Zelda and her Grandmother's living room as he made his way to their door. He placed his hand on the door knob and was about to open it when Viti spoke once again.

"Keep her safe, Link. Keep both of you safe." Link turned his head ever so slightly to look over his shoulder. He looked down to the floor, upset by Viti's remorseful tone. "I don't want to lose two more people from this village to that man." she added quietly. Link's eyes went wide for a moment, knowing she was referring to his parents. Slowly, he nodded his head in response, unsure if she were to see it or not. Finally, Link left the house without another word.

He stepped outside and quietly shut the door behind him. He dolefully looked ahead of him to see the picnic tables cleaned up, no one sitting around enjoying the feast like they had a few moments before. Link let out a light 'huff' and looked down for a second. When he looked back up, he turned his attention to where Epona had last been, which was at Ruis and Yu-May's home.

Sure enough, Epona was in front of the home with her master, Zelda. Link walked over to Zelda who was standing alone as she pet Epona. She quickly took notice of Link's presence as he drew near, and she turned to him.

"I'm leaving to go to Hylia. The invitation to go is still open." she declared monotonically. Link did not respond, but instead stared off into space with a look of distaste as her words lingered in his head. After short period of silence, Zelda frowned. She mounted Epona and looked down to Link who still did not direct his attention at her. "I'll be over at the spring for about five minutes or so. If you want to come, I suggest you grab whatever it is you need and meet me there before I'm gone."

Zelda paused for a moment, hoping to get a response out of Link before she left. When she didn't receive one, not even a simple glance from him, her eyes widened the slightest bit out of shock but quickly returned to normal. She looked ahead of her and kicked Epona's sides, causing the horse to quickly walk off. Zelda and her horse were soon out of view and Link finally looked up with a scowl. He was mad with her, and there was no denying it.

Shaking his head, Link slowly set off for his own home in the direction that Zelda had gone. He soon arrived at his house and entered it. He didn't need much for the trip. All that he truly needed were some rupees that he'd earned working alongside Zelda at the ranch. Link retrieved his wallet from the drawer of a small table besides his parents' chair. It had a fair amount of rupees within it, for Link never spent much, but it wasn't full. Link judged the small bag's contents by weighing it in his hand, deciding it should be somewhere around seventy rupees. _Maybe if Zelda grabbed her own, we'll be able to last about a week in the Capitol of Hylia._

Link put the wallet into his side pack, still taken back by the magic qualities that it possessed. Once he'd done that, he sank into the old chair and rested his head on his left hand. He scanned his house, taking in every sight for he knew it may be a while before he was to return. As he did so, he glanced up to his sleeping platform. Just hanging over the edge of his sleeping quarters was the tip of his hat. He stared at it for some time, debating within the confines of his mind whether to retrieve it or not. Link finally chose to climb up the ladders to get it.

Once up to the platform, Link reached down and picked the hat up. It was made up of the same material as his tunic and had the same thick leather cord lacing its sides as the tunic did. Its odd conical shape still amused him.

_Why on earth would the Goddess have chosen this as a hat?_ Link rolled his eyes and secured the hat on his head, finding that it fit well and snuggly just above his messy bangs. He climbed back down the ladders and reached his home's main floor. He looked around once again, taking in every detail of the house. Sighing, he went to the door and walked out.

Now out of his house and ready to go, Link ventured over to Ordon Spring where Zelda said she was to be. Lo and behold, in the center of the spring she stood side by side with her horse in the twilit evening.

"So you decided to come?" Zelda asked in a slightly more upbeat mood than she had been before. Link looked to her with an indifferent expression upon his face.

"It's been more than five minutes," he stated matter-of-factly. Zelda raised an eyebrow at him and gently crossed her arms.

"I lost track of time," she said as she narrowed her eyes, providing an explanation. Link shrugged and stood to the side of Epona as he waited for Zelda to mount the horse. Zelda soon did, taking her place at the front of the double seated saddle as Epona's guider. Link climbed up after Zelda was settled in and ready to go.

"Alright," Zelda started, "nothing more that you need, correct?" She looked over her shoulder slightly to catch sight of Link, who was still irritated with her, shaking his head. Zelda frowned and turned away from him. "Okay then. Hyland, here we come!" With a whip of the reigns and a kick to Epona's side, they were off.


	14. Chapter 13

_Eh, still not too much exciting going on in this chapter. It's still gonna be slow for a while longer, but a mini dungeon is coming up soon. Sorry 'bout that. Thanks for sticking with my story, though :) I appreciate it very much._

_Read, respond, enjoy!_

* * *

Link and Zelda had been traveling on horseback for just about forty-five minutes, and the sky was now dark. The two were still traveling in the shadowy Faron Woods, but plenty of stars and a half moon lighted their way of travel to make it a more comforting trip.

"How much longer are we stuck on horseback?" Link asked Zelda, who still led Epona.

"We should be nearing the end of the forest soon. Once we reach the edge of the woods, we'll be in the Hyland fields. The castle will be in view at that point," she answered with a smile. Link rolled his eyes.

"So for a long time then, right?"

"As long as it takes." Zelda retorted with a shrug. A short silence passed between them, and Link tried to continue conversation.

"What are we going to do once we get to the city?" he asked.

"I suppose we'll find an inn somewhere's near the castle. In the morning, I plan to go and set a meeting up with the King and Queen." Zelda loosened up on the reigns and let her hands gently fall down as she began to stare off in front of her. "King and Queen...my mom and dad..." she said, trailing off as though she were dreaming. "Well, I suppose they should be referred to as simply the King and Queen until it's proven otherwise... I don't want to make a fool of myself, or you for that matter."

Link nodded and huffed and folded his arms. Traveling seemed to be taking forever. In another ten minutes or so of Epona trotting, they reached the end of the forest. Neither one of them had ever left the depths of Faron Woods before, for they never had the chance to. Link never truly cared about what life outside of Ordon was like because he enjoyed his way of living. Zelda on the other hand had always bugged Yu-May about sneaking her onto the cart when she and her husband would travel to Hyland for different goods and for trade. She was never allowed.

Now out of the forest, Epona slowed to a stop and both Link and Zelda looked around, rather amazed. The world outside of the woods was huge; larger than they'd ever have imagined it. The far stretching hills of the Hyland fields seemed to go on forever, stopping only at the mountains that sheltered Hylia's land.

The mountains themselves were a sight to behold. Mountains of deep red and orange colors were to the south western quarter of Hylia, reaching high into the sky of the Eldin province. Death Mountain was the highest reaching with a hazy cloud of smoke hiding its tip. Fading from the red earthy mountains of the Eldin Province was a higher section of land, known as the Gerudo Plateau, which housed the Gerudo desert atop of it.

The Gerudo Plateau wrapped around the far back midsection of Hyland and a drop off from this section of earth could be seen from their perspective. What was below the drop off was blocked from view by various shorter mountains and elevations across the fields of Hylia.

South east from the drop off was another range of mountains, these being of a darker color, shorter stature, and less pointed than their brethren. The hint of a waterfall could be seen through the mountain tops. Meeting these mountains at the edge of their province, the Lanayru province, were even shorter and more rounded mountains that resembled hills. These mountains blended into the far reaches of Faron Woods, a place neither Zelda nor Link had ever been.

"Link...it's beautiful!" Zelda exclaimed with a smile as she took in the sights. Link gawked as he looked around with his own wide eyes. Gasping, Zelda pointed to the center of Hyland. "Look!"

Where Zelda had pointed was perhaps the most prominent feature in the entire new world; a large castle. It stood mighty and tall, surrounded with great brick wall barriers encasing a city within its limits. All the two could do was stare at the magnificence of it.

"I still can't believe we've never seen this," Zelda said softly. She turned her head to Link, smiling, and asked, "Ready?" Link nodded, a smile of his formed with his lips. Zelda took the reins in her hands once more and whipped them as she let out a 'yah'. Epona reared and whinnied as she began to charge off into the night.

Though Zelda and Link had never been through the magnificent Hylian fields or to the castle, they easily found their way through it. The dirt roads easily guided them there. It was about an hour or two before they even reached the outskirts of the Hyland province. Now closer to the castle, its magnitude was even more prominent. The mostly rectangular building appeared as though it took up just under half of the space within the walls of the city from where they were.

"The castle's huge," Link said, pointing out the obvious after a moment of silence. Zelda slowly nodded, still awestricken by its size.

"Yeah," she said in agreement. The two remained staring at the castle for a good while, that is until Epona impatiently snorted, grabbing their attention. Zelda snapped out of her trance and kicked Epona's sides while Link continued to look at the castle.

He had soon turned away from the building and looked ahead over Zelda's shoulders as Epona trotted along. Ahead, moderately dense fog had formed as well as all around them. Link hadn't really been paying much attention to the weather, but he did suppose he'd noticed the humidity earlier on along with the change in visibility. As they continued to ride, lightning flashed off in the distance, and a rolling thunder soon followed.

"I was not counting on rain." Zelda stated, annoyed. "Well whatever; giddy up Epona!" Whipping the reins, Zelda forced her horse to speed up. Just as she did so, another flash of lightning occurred and more thunder sounded. Following that, rain began to fall from the sky in heavy sheets. "Damn it," she cursed under her breath.

"Can you see where you're going?" Link asked slightly loud. She half frowned as she stared ahead.

"Kind of," she called back. She whipped Epona's reins once again and let out a 'yah', making Epona speed up. As they sped through the rain they became utterly drenched. Link's hair stuck to his face, notably his bangs, and his multiple layers of clothing stuck to his skin very uncomfortably. Zelda was in the same condition, though she was more accustomed to the feel of soaked layers of clothing than Link was due to many sword practices in the rain.

After another fifteen minutes of blindly riding through the storm, Zelda had somehow managed to lead Epona through the rain and to the Capitol of Hylia. Now at the gates of the city, Zelda and Link quickly dismounted Zelda's horse.

"Do you think there's a stable in the city?" Zelda loudly asked Link over the pouring rain.

"Should be," he replied equally loud. Zelda took her horse's reins, and she and Link began to hurry into the city with Epona following. Once in the place, they rushed to find shelter from the pouring rain. They quickly found it under a large stone structure, which so happened to be a stable at the front of the city.

"Huh, well that was convenient." Zelda muttered. She took off her bow and arrows from her back and placed them on a hook on Epona's saddle. Once done, she looked around and Link did the same. They saw nobody here to tend to the horse. "Hello?" she called out.

"Huh, what?!" a startled male voice called. Zelda and Link turned in the voice's direction, shocked to see a man sleeping on a pile of hay. The man looked up to them and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, hello," he said, getting up. "What can I do for you?"

"We need a stall for my horse." Zelda answered. The man nodded and stretched, taking the reins from Zelda's hands. He was rather short and stocky middle aged man with a large stomach and muscular appendages. On his balding dark brown head was a scruffy mustache made of the same dark hair that sat over his thin lips. His nose was large and round and his eyes were big and hazel.

"So what brings you to town so late? Not to mention in the middle of a storm?" the man asked as they followed him to Epona's new stall.

"Well," Zelda started, "er, we came to...to visit our sick and elderly aunt!" she lied suddenly. She turned her head to Link, urging him to continue the fib. With wide eyes, he mouthed Zelda a 'what' to which she simply raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah," Link said unsurely as the man locked Epona's stall. "She's really sick. We've come far from Faron to her aid." The man turned and frowned.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." he said sadly. "Any chance I'd know her?" Zelda quickly shook her head.

"No, she's mostly been a recluse all of her life, and her recent illness doesn't help it any." Zelda answered with a shrug.

"Oh..." A silence passed between them all, the rain still falling loudly just behind them.

"You need payment, don't you?" Zelda asked suddenly.

"Hmm? Oh, no, at least not now. Whenever you come to pick up your horse, you'll make the payment." he responded, waving it off.

"Okay, thanks, uh... what's your name, sir?"

"The name's Talon," he said with a hearty smile.

"Thanks, Talon." Zelda replied with a smile of her own before turning to Link. "Well, we'd best find our aunts house, right Link?" Link nodded.

"See you round!" Talon called as the two teens headed off into the rain. Once they were far from the stables and the middle aged Talon, Link turned his head to Zelda.

"So, where is this 'aunt' of ours staying?" he asked sardonically. Zelda turned to him and pouted, glaring at him at the same time.

"Oh shut up Link. Right now, can we please just find our way out of this storm and find some sort of inn? I'm getting cold." she said as she hugged herself and rubbed her arms. Link nodded and the two walked on. Blindly choosing a south bound street, the two hurried down the cobblestone road. No lanterns or any form of lighting down the entire road or along any of the buildings.

"Do you see anything?" Zelda asked.

Link shook his head. "No inn anywhere." Zelda scoffed and looked around.

"This is so stupid. The Goddess just _had _to make it rain, right?" She shook her head and took Link's wrist in her hand. "Come on." Zelda led him farther down the road, paused, and then turned.

"Where are we going?"

"No clue!" Zelda replied with a chipper tone of voice. Finally, after walking farther down the street, they saw a lantern alight over a sign that read 'Madame Mindim's Tavern'. Zelda let go of Link's wrist and cocked her head to the side, curious. "I want to say I remember reading about taverns... they're bars, of course, but I remember the mention of having something to do with an inn..."

"Well it doesn't hurt to check," Link said. Zelda nodded and the two ran over to the building. Link was the one to open the door and peer in first. Zelda soon followed.

As the two peeked inside, they saw practical chaos within the place. People -knights, men, and women- dancing, laughing, yelling, and singing all at once. Over all of the noise, they heard a band playing somewhere in the background. Link opened the door more, just enough to where the two could walk in. No one noticed their presence, which did not come as much of a surprise.

Zelda and Link looked through the crowd for someone who would be running the place. "There," Zelda said, pointing over to a bar where an olive skinned woman stood bored. "Go on," she said, grabbing onto Link's right arm. Link raised an eyebrow at her, surprised she was clinging to him. Shrugging his brows, he pushed through the crowd and over to the bar.

"Excuse me," he said as he approached, hoping to catch the woman's attention. He quickly did, and she turned to them and looked them over as they did the same to her. The woman was middle aged, perhaps a bit older, and was rather... busty, for lack of a better way to say it, with hips to balance out her chest. She had dark brown-black hair that was braided and wrapped up in a bun on her head. She had bright amber eyes that seemed to have a sort of youthfulness to them.

"...aren't you a little young to be here?" she asked bluntly as she flashed her eyes over to the boisterous group of people that were in the tavern.

"Probably," Link said with a shrug. The woman shrugged as well.

"Anyway, what can I do for you two?" she asked nicely as she placed her hands on her hips.

"We need lodging," Zelda said, suddenly letting go of Link's arm. "If you don't have any, would you be kind enough to tell us where to find some?"

The woman paused and brought a finger up to her lip in thought. "Hmm..." she mused. "I think we might just have a room left. One bed though."

"That's fine," Zelda said quickly, causing the woman to give a small amused smirk. "I don't care. How many rupees for the night?"

"Thirty five rupees for the room for the both of you. If you want anything else, you'll have to pay extra."

"What else do you mean?" Zelda asked.

"Like breakfast and a hot bath in the morning. The bath will add another thirty rupees to it, and that's for one person alone. Add breakfast for one, which is ten rupees for a good meal, and you've got eighty-five rupees in all." Zelda bit her lip and looked down to her side where a small purse was tied to her belt. She quickly untied the purse and poured its contents into her hand, where she counted the rupees that she had. There were thirteen blue rupees there, along with three yellow rupees and six green ones, equaling up to one hundred and one rupees in all.

"This is all I have..." Zelda said sadly, realizing the amount she had wouldn't cut it. "I guess we could just take the room and breakfast for two; baths aren't so important." Zelda placed the amount owed (which was seventy-five rupees) to the barmaid, leaving her with twenty-six rupees. The barmaid looked at the rupees and frowned. "That's the right amount, isn't it?" Zelda asked.

"Yeah, but... hmm." Once again, the woman placed her hands on her hips. "You know what, I'm feeling generous tonight." Smiling, she continued. "Seeing as you two are obviously strapped for cash, I'm gonna cut the price of the room out. It is totally free of charge. That ought to leave you with enough money to pay for hot water and two meals." she said with a wink. Zelda gaped at her.

"You...you mean it?" she asked dumbly.

"Yep, missy, you've got my word. Here, take the twenty one rupees you've got left and give me the eighty that you owe to make it final." Zelda quickly did so, pocketing her money to keep the deal final.

"Thanks," Zelda said gratefully. "Thanks a lot."

"No problem sweetie." she said with another smile as she took the money Zelda had laid out and put it into a pocket on her apron. She motioned for both of the teens to follow her past the bar. Zelda once more grabbed hold of Link's arm and the two walked through the crowd, sticking close together as they followed the woman.

Soon the crowd was broken up a bit as they were led into a calmer area of the tavern. They passed a curtain that cut off a room of the bar, where Zelda and Link saw a group of people sitting and talking with one another as they played cards.

"Well, well, well," a man slightly older than Link and Zelda with brown hair said as he saw the barmaid and two teens walking in, "a late night couple, eh?" he asked, the others around him beginning to laugh loudly.

"Couple...?" Link asked quietly, furrowing his eyebrows. He looked to Zelda and saw why the man would think that; Zelda was still holding on to his arm. The small group of people continued to laugh, not noticing Link's question.

"Oh leave 'em be, Tarmig," the barmaid said, frowning at him. "They're too young for that kind of thing." Suddenly, both Link and Zelda understood the term of 'late night couple.' Zelda's hold on Link loosened and she quickly let go of his arm. Link bit his lip and felt his face growing warm out of embarrassment, and he was sure Zelda's was doing the same. The group laughed even louder.

With a coy smile, the man looked at the barmaid again. "So what, Mindi? Never too young to-"

"TARMIG!" she shouted, scolding the young man. "I'd expect you to at least have manners towards strangers." Tarmig shrugged as he smirked.

"You should know better than that by now, Mindim," elder man with white hair said with a disapproving shake of the head. Crossing his arms, he gave a sideways glance to the boy beside him. "No wonder he was cast out of his own home..."

Mindim rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Unbelievable little snot..." She turned away from the group of people to the two teens that she was supposed to be leading to their room. "I'm sorry about this... just come with me to your room." Link and Zelda nodded and followed Mindim through a door and up a flight of stairs. As they walked down a hall, Mindim turned her head to them and slowed her pace. "You wouldn't happen to be a couple, would you?" she asked simply.

The two teens rapidly shook their heads at the question. "No!" they said, both defensive, at the same time. Their sheepish behavior caused Mindim to smile.

"Hmph." Soon, they were near the end of the hall when the barmaid stopped in front of a door. "Well, here we are." she said happily as she opened the door. "This will be your room for the night. It's rather plain, but it should do." Zelda and Link walked into the room as Mindim stood at the doorway. "And don't worry about any of those fools downstairs, they can't tease you. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Zelda and Link nodded to the woman who smiled sweetly before leaving and shutting the door behind her. Silence passed as the two both stared at the door, that is until Zelda broke it.

"Well that was awkward, don't you think?" she asked in a lighthearted tone. Link inwardly laughed and watched her as she walked around him and to the large bed. She sat down and began to unlace her boots. Link watched her as she did so, and soon spaced out without thinking. After Zelda had managed to take her first boot off and as she began her second, she noticed his behavior. "Daydreaming?"

Link caught himself as Zelda smirked and continued to untie her boots. "So what are we doing tomorrow?" Link asked as he slipped his sword and shield over his head. Zelda pulled off her second boot and set it by the other at the foot of the bed.

"I'm going to go and request a meeting with the king and queen. You don't have to come if you don't want to." Link shook his head.

"Nah, I'll come. I'd have nothing better to do anyway." Zelda shrugged and stood up.

"You _could_ go and look around the city. I mean, you should at least be able to enjoy the place while I'm off doing Goddess-knows-what." She took her belt and sword off from around her waist and set it on the bed post near her head before sitting down once more. She untied the ribbon around the end of her braid but stared ahead into the wall. "I have no idea what I'm getting myself into, do I?" She laughed slightly and smiled as she began to undo her braid.

Link glanced at her one more time before going to his side of the bed and placing his weapons down on the floor. He then took off his hat and set it on a bedpost just as Zelda had done with her belt, and continued to remove some of his attire. Boots, belt, gauntlets, tunic, chainmaile, and undershirt. Finally the piece of tapestry that had been wrapped up around his abdomen by Zelda was the last to go, and he simply let it fall to the floor. He ran his left hand through his soggy hair and let it fall onto his lap.

"Link?" Zelda asked. Link turned his head around to catch sight of Zelda starring at his back. "That giant spider that got you... that wasn't the only thing you fought, now was it?" Link turned his entire body around now and looked into Zelda's sad eyes.

"No," he answered simply.

"What else?" Link turned away slightly from her.

"Well, there were these skeletons-"

"Skeletons?" Zelda asked him, shocked.

"Yeah, stalfos, like the Hero fought. They were cursed or something. I fought two of them. Surprising, they were easier than the spider." he said with a smirk. Zelda just frowned and furrowed her eyebrows.

"Weren't you scared?" Link thought back to the episode with the stalfos, not remembering any emotion.

"Not really... I just remember being more... indifferent to it."

"What about with the spider?" Link remembered that battle easily. He frowned.

"I was more disgusted by it at first; who wouldn't be? Then, after it bit me I guess I started to feel more... angry towards it. It had wounded me and I was acting in self-defense." he answered with a shrug. Zelda pulled her legs up onto the bed and hugged them close to her chest, staring off to the wall across from the bed.

"How... how badly did it hurt?" Link looked down to the floor, his frown turning more remorseful than angered. What was he supposed to say? How was he to describe it? It had utterly been the worst pain he'd experience in his life, but how was he supposed to give a description of it to his friend without making her gag? All he did was shake his head.

"You don't want to know." Zelda closed her eyes as she put her cheek on her knee and tried to imagine it, wanting to understand how it may have happened. All of the scars he had were across his back from what she saw. _That means it went through his lungs, stomach, and ribs, just missing his spine... _She cringed. _He had to have bled a lot, too. _But how had he been caught? Was it simply a mishap on his part, or had the spider actually outsmarted him? Zelda stopped thinking about it, attempting to erase the images out of her head as she swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I... I wish I was there to help you, Link." she said quietly. "I'm sorry." Link looked at her, shocked.

"Don't be," he said comfortingly. "If you were there to help then... well I wouldn't have been there at all." He smiled in an attempt to lighten the mood, but Zelda only frowned more and looked away. "Get to bed," Link ordered softly, "you have a lot to do tomorrow." Zelda nodded obediently, seemingly distant and far away. She crawled under the thick covers and curled up into a small ball near the edge of the bed. Link frowned at her, worried. Sighing, he turned to the oil lamp on the nightstand and turned its switch down, cutting off its flow of fuel.

Link pulled the covers up and slid under them himself as he rested his head on the pillow. He looked out of the corners of his eyes in the direction Zelda was resting though he couldn't see her. He let out another breath and closed his eyes.

"Good night, Zelda." She didn't respond.


	15. Chapter 14

_Okay, so I'm sorry this chapter took so long to publish, even though its been written for like, ever. Things have been happening with one of my friends, and I've just been procrastinating so... woo! Yay for procrastination! Lol._

_Read, Review, Enjoy! _

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Link jolted up, alarmed by the dream he'd been having. _Another nightmare. _Throughout the night, Link had been awakening from nightmares that he could hardly remember, though he knew they all had included the same people over and over again, which included him, Zelda, and Ganondorf. The dreams had all been the same, yet different. He wished that he could remember them, then again he didn't.

Shaking his head, he looked to the other side of his bed for Zelda's sleeping form, but rumpled covers were the only thing in sight. He noticed that her belt was missing too. _Did she leave? _He looked out of the small window to his left and saw that it was just after the crack of dawn, the soft light of morning pouring in through the glass. _She couldn't have, it's too early. _

Once more he looked around, and as if on cue, the door to their room opened. Zelda appeared in the door way, drying her long, darker-than-usual, hair. She met eyes with Link and paused drying her hair.

"Oh hey, you're up," she said casually. Link nodded. "Had a good night's sleep?"

"Yeah," Link lied.

"Me too," she said with a smile that quickly faded. "I just took a bath; go down the hall to take yours, and when you're done Ms. Mindim said that breakfast should be ready." Link nodded and got out of the bed. He stretched, then leaned down and collected all of his clothing. He picked up the tapestry that had been wrapped around his waist.

"Does Mindim have any place to dispose of this?" Link asked, motioning to the long cloth. Zelda walked over and took it from him.

"She probably does. I'll ask." Zelda looked down to the piece of cloth in her hands and Link did the same. The material had intricate designs all over it, painted and sewn on. A more prominent design that was sewn onto it was the Hylian crest, that of a sacred bird and the Triforce above it. After a minute or two, Zelda spoke.

"You know," she said, "this had to have been very pretty back in the day." She paused a moment and held it up. "Before it was dusty and faded... hmm..." Zelda shrugged and wrapped it around her arm, then walked towards the door. Link followed behind her and out into the hall. "Bathroom's over there," Zelda said, pointing to the first door at the beginning of the large hall. Link nodded and walked that way as Zelda headed for the stairs.

He entered the room and shut the door, finding it to be about half the size of the room that they'd spent the night in. A large tub sat in it, a curtain handing around it. No spout for water was anywhere to be seen, though a knob for water was present. Furrowing his eyebrows, he turned it. A hissing noise occurred and he jumped back, unsure of what had just happened. Suddenly, water began to pour from up above like rain. He followed the water to see where it came from and saw that a spout like on a water canister was its source.

"Oh..." Now understanding what was going on, he quickly undressed out of the clothes that he had left on, grabbed the dry rag provided for him, and stepped into the tub. He began to bathe, and found that the shower was soothing, also that it was nicer than a bath. It didn't take him long to clean up, and he was fortunate for that because the water began to grow cold.

Once the water became too unbearably cold, he turned it off. He stepped out and dried himself with the towel that had been nicely folded for him on the floor. He dressed back into his clothes that were still slightly damp from the night before. He frowned as he took note of the blood that was still on them, and of the tears that were still present on them. _I need to get this fixed..._

After he was fully dressed, boots, hat, and all, he picked up his towel and rag, placing them in a convenient hamper, before heading out of the room and down the stairs. Now downstairs, he caught sight of Zelda at the bar, eating as she chatted with Mindim. Mindim saw Link out of the corner of her eye and turned to him, smiling.

"Well look who came down!" she exclaimed. Zelda turned and smiled at him.

"How'd you like your shower?" she asked, a mischievous grin on her face. Link shrugged, a small smile of his own across his lips.

"It was actually rather refreshing, once I got used to it." Zelda frowned at him, having expected a different reaction.

"You didn't tell him how to work it?" Mindim asked as she placed her hands on her hips. Zelda shrugged as she poked at her food with her fork.

"I guess I must have forgotten." Madame Mindim rolled her eyes at Zelda's muttering and turned to Link.

"Well, anyway, how's about some breakfast? Eggs, fresh milk, bread, and honey! It's all still fresh, and worth every rupee." the woman said with a wink. Link nodded and sat down besides Zelda at the counter as Mindim set out a plate of food for him.

"What're your names? I never caught them." Mindim asked.

"I'm Zelda, and he's Link." Zelda said after she swallowed some eggs. Mindim just starred.

"Zelda, you say?" she asked flatly. Zelda nodded. The barmaid began to laugh. Her laughter grew as she went on.

"What's so funny?" Zelda asked, narrowing her eyes at the chuckling woman. The woman wiped a stray tear of joy from her eye and smirked at Zelda.

"Lemme guess, the reason the both of you are here in Castle Town is because you want to have a meeting with the king and queen, right?" she asked, pausing only slightly.

"How di-"

"And then what? You were going to go up to them and 'prove' how you're the missing princess, tortured and starved your whole life? Tell them that your arm was injured as somebody tried to kidnap you once more?" Mindim asked rudely, offending Zelda.

"No, I-"

"And who's he supposed to be?" Mindim interrupted yet again. "Your knight in shining armor? The one who saved you from an utter demise? A hero wanna-be?"

"Excuse me?" Link asked, he himself now offended by the woman.

"You don't know what we've been through, lady." Zelda said spitefully. "I was abducted, and he had to come rescue me; cliché, yes I know, but it's true. And if you're trying to get at me being greedy, well you're wrong. I don't care about money, or goods, or anything remotely similar to that. I've been parentless all my life, living with a bitty old woman known as my Grandmother, and all I care about quite frankly are having parents; knowing where I'm from. He doesn't care about money either; neither one of us does." Mindim folded her arms as her expression changed to softer one, realizing Zelda's words had truth to them.

"Well, the king and queen have endured heartbreak enough, regardless of what your motives are. You won't be able to get a meeting with them even if you try." Zelda narrowed her eyes at the woman and furrowed her brows.

"What do you mean they've endured heartbreak enough?" she asked.

"Don't you know how all the young women from across the kingdom came to prove that they were the princess?" Zelda's glare faded, understanding why Madame Mindim had reacted to her name the way she did.

"No. When was that?"

"Not too long ago, actually. About a year, maybe two ago, the king and queen sent people out to tell human citizens from all across Hylia to send forth young women they believed to be their daughter. People reacted in a frenzy, sending girls from all over to here, the Capitol of Hylia, in an effort to prove their girls' worth as a princess. They expected some sort of payout, most of them, doing their best to mimic what they believed was to be expected of a princess.

"They never actually caught sight of what the king and queen wanted to see, though, which was proof from the girls' past that she may or may not have had some connection to them. I remember one time a woman and her daughter were staying here and I happened to pass their room. They were rehearsing what to say to the king and queen and planning out how to get money by them. Sick people." she said with a shake of the head.

"Did any of the girls come close to convincing them?" Link asked, finally saying something worthwhile. Mindim shook her head at him.

"No, not that I can recall. Wait, I think one girl actually may have. If I'm not mistaken, she genuinely thought she was the princess, provided she had no idea where she came from. That was soon proven wrong though, when the girl's mother stepped up after recognizing the situation she'd been lost in. At least that girl was genuine enough."

"So it isn't going to be easy to request an audience with them, now is it?" Zelda asked.

"I'm afraid not." Mindim frowned at Zelda, feeling pity for her. "I'm sorry for lashing out the way I did. Honestly thought you were another one of those greedy snobs," she stated with a laugh. Zelda nodded, forgiving her. "Now both of you finish eating your food; I'm going to help you get ready for a proper meeting with the royals."

~...~...~...~...~

"Ms. Mindim?" Zelda asked, her voice sounding out of breath. "I don't think this is going to work."

Zelda stepped out from behind a room divider. She was dressed in a navy blue dress that reached her ankles, with a white blouse atop it. Above that was a dark brown corset tied tightly around her midsection, forcing her waist to curve into an unnatural hourglass figure. Link lounged in a wooden chair in Mindim's room, watching Zelda struggle to breathe as a doubtful expression crossed his face.

"Nonsense! You look great sweetie!" Mindim exclaimed with a smile. "You do look awfully uncomfortable though... I guess I could loosen your bodice. Come here." Zelda awkwardly strolled over to Mindim and turned around, flashing a pained expression to Link. He couldn't help but smirk, for her face hinted at a bit of sarcasm. Zelda let out a breath and quickly drew one in as Mindim loosened the corset.

"There," she said as she tied a bow on Zelda's back. "That ought to do it." Zelda looked relieved as she panted, trying to catch her breath. Link began to quietly laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" Zelda asked with a pout upon her lips. Link's smile grew as Zelda placed her hands on her hips.

"You trying to fit into a corset." he stated simply. "It's rather amusing."

"Oh you try putting one on!" she shouted. Link held his hands up.

"No thank you, I am already dressed." That was true, for Mindim had found two new shirts for him to wear while they were out (Mindim had offered to fix and clean his clothes during that time). Another long-sleeved white undershirt and a golden brown tunic took the place of his green one. She'd found it after going through a pile of clean laundry she'd done for some of her friends that they'd seen last night. It fit him perfectly and was comfortable, unlike Zelda's wear which had come from the same group of laundry.

"Now, what else should we do for you? Your hair looks fine to me, but what else... aha! That's it! You need make up." Mindim rushed over to her dresser, where an intricate wooden box sat. Zelda's eyes widened at the idea of makeup, of all things, on her face.

"No, no no no no no! I refuse that." Mindim frowned at her.

"But Zelda, if you want to present yourself to the king and queen, you're gonna have to look your best! At least let me put a little." Zelda rolled her eyes and gave in. Mindim rushed over with the box in her hand, sitting Zelda into a stool. Link watched as Mindim put powders and blushes on Zelda's face, along with several other things that she painted onto Zelda's face. After about seven minutes, Mindim was done applying everything. Smiling at her work, she told Zelda to open her eyes.

"Here," she said, reaching into her apron pocket and pulling out a compact. She opened it up and handed it to Zelda, who gasped and widened her eyes.

"My... my face!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, you look great, sweetie! Relax a little. Here, give me that and show Link what you look like!" Zelda sighed and stood up from her sitting position with a bit of effort before turning to Link. Link gawked stupidly at her. He was shocked by the change in her appearance, with what he'd thought would have been a little difference turning out more prominent than expected.

"Well?" Zelda asked, impatient for a reply. Link shook his head to snap himself out of his staring state.

"You, uh, you look _good, _Zelda," he said convincingly. "Really good." She gave a small smile, now happy with her makeup. Mindim smiled at the two.

"Well, Zelda, now you look common enough, but with just the right amount of regality. They might just let you met with them."

"Thanks a lot, Mindim. You've done a lot for us." Mindim waved her hand at Zelda.

"It's nothing. I've helped people in more desperate situations than this." Mindim paused in her speach and stared at Zelda as she rested her cheek on her hand. "You know, you do look an awful lot like the queen with that makeup on. Long brown hair, blue eyes... the more and more I think about it, the more and more you seem to prove yourself." Mindim hugged Zelda as Zelda smiled at her. "I wish you luck, sweetie."

"Thanks," Zelda said again. She turned over to Link and walked over to him. "Well I'm ready to go... you ready?" Link smiled happily and nodded. "Great! We'll see you later, Mindim. We'll tell you how it goes." Zelda said with a wave as they walked to the door.

"Alrighty then, see you two later." And with that, Zelda and Link headed out.

~…~…~…~…~

Link and Zelda had soon entered the hustle and bustle of Castle Town, finding that even though it was early in the morning that people were out and about. The weather was comfortably cool with a bright sun shining down on the city. The smells of freshly baked goods drifted in and out of their senses as they walked through the town, looking for a way to the castle gates. Many people passed them, paying no mind at all to the two.

"People are so... rushed here," Zelda said quietly as she walked closer to Link, letting a man pass by her. "I don't see why." Link shrugged.

"They have places to go, people to meet." he said plainly.

"So do we, but we aren't hurrying."

"Yeah, but they probably have some sort of time to meet. We're simply trying to drop in on the top two royals."

"True." They continued walking through the city and found themselves at the center, which was a large and opened square. Many people walked about through here, and the sound of music played from under an arch. A fountain was in the center of the place, a statue depicting the Goddess Hylia with water running down from her hands and into the pool below. Beyond that was a large arch with gigantic wooden doors swung open to reveal a bridge. The bridge to the castle.

"Over there," Link said as he pointed to the enormous arch. "The castle's that way." Zelda followed his point and smiled.

"Great! Let's go!" Zelda grabbed his left arm and dragged him along behind her, not minding other people. They had soon pushed through the crowds and made their way to a clearing in front of the great door way where Zelda let go of him. Confidently, the two walked in.

They walked up a short flight of stairs and onto a bridge crossing a moat. Up ahead, they could see two guards standing at attention at the second set of large gates. The two continued walking until they were about ten feet away from the guards. The guards took notice of the two and took a long step forward in synchronization.

"Halt! Who goes there?" the soldier on the left asked with a booming voice. Zelda gulped.

"Zelda and Link of Ordon," she said slowly. The soldiers ignored her name, not reacting as she'd expected.

"What is your purpose for being here?" the second knight asked, tone of voice the same.

"I am requesting an audience with their highnesses, the king and queen." Zelda stated.

"And what reason is it that you wish to converse with them?" the first knight asked, still booming. Zelda paused. She suddenly found herself intimidated, for no reason, no reason at all.

"I-I wish to discuss with them the possibility of- of me being the, um, princess..." she said quietly, humbly. The two knights just starred at her. Then, they began to laugh.

"You thought you could get in to see them with that?" the first knight said as the other laughed. Link and Zelda began to have the strangest hint of deja vu. "The king and queen will not be seeing any one woman who claims to be the heir to the throne."

"And even if they were, I'm sure they wouldn't be allowing someone such as yourselves in." the second knight said. Zelda sneered.

"Unprofessional bastards," Zelda said suddenly, catching the soldiers off guard. "At the very least you could have been nice about it. But no, instead you've chosen to be impudent morons who have no regards for others! You must be so proud, thinking us as degenerate idiots, below you. Well you know what? We aren't." Link watched Zelda as she continued to rant, amazed with the way she was insulting the two soldiers in her pensive way. The soldiers slunk back from her as her voice rose, like two children getting a scolding.

"I don't see how you even managed to take a place on the royal guard. People selecting you mustn't have cared too much!" Zelda stopped speaking and looked at the stunned guards as she folded her arms. Turning her attention to Link, she softened her expression. "Let's go." Link smirked at her and gave one more glance to the cowering knights before heading off with Zelda. Once they were back to the city square, Zelda muttered, "Idiots."

She stopped in place and let her shoulders fall and she began to frown. "Now how are we going to get in? I can go back there later, but I'm afraid I may give them time to come up with something intelligent in reply to me. No, that's impossible."

"We could go back and see Mindim. She may know something to do." Link suggested. Zelda nodded in agreement with him and the two headed back to the bar. Once they'd arrived, the building was still empty, save for Mindim. Mindim sat at the bar counting the rupees she'd collected the previous night. She came to a stopping point as she heard the two enter.

"Hello and how may I- oh, it's you two. Back so soon?" she asked as she swiped some rupees into a pile.

"Yes," Zelda said, sounding defeated. She sat down at the bar and Link did the same. "You know, those Hylian guards aren't very nice. They're rather rude." Madame Mindim smirked at Zelda.

"Oh, and how'd you find that out?" she asked, resting her chin on her fist.

"Well, first they were yelling questions out, inquiring why we were there which I guess is to be expected. But then, as soon as my request was stated, they laughed. I understood why, of course, but when they started to rudely address Link and I, well I was highly offended by their tone of voice!" Zelda stated, sarcastically over exaggerating her words. "And so I offended them. Called them quite a few colorful things."

Mindim laughed. "It's about time someone set those idiots straight. Just because they are on the royal guard does not mean that they are permitted some sort of self-righteousness over others."

"We were wondering, though," Zelda said, her tone becoming more serious, "if you know any other way to get to the king and queen. I really would like a meeting with them still." Mindim pursed her lips in thought.

"Hmm..." she mused, "I know somebody who might be able to help, though I am not sure if he'd be willing to tell you." she said.

"Who? Tell us what?" Zelda asked eagerly.

"You remember last night, the group of people sitting at the table over there?" Zelda nodded slowly, her cheeks growing pink.

"Yeah."

"Well, the old man who tried to get Tarmig to shut his trap is an old friend of mine. His name is Leuell. He once was close with the king and queen, having been a top general back in the war. He knows a lot about Hyland's history, as well as royal family secrets. If I'm not mistaken, he's mentioned something about a secret escape route from the castle before. I'm sure it would work as a way to get in, but I wouldn't know where it is or how to get to it." Mindim said.

"There's... an escape route?" Zelda asked, dumbfounded. Madame Mindim narrowed her eyes at Zelda.

"If you claim to be the princess, then why don't you remember it?" Mindim asked.

"I didn't go that way. I was sent off by this nursemaid, Impa, with a night to travel far off to Skyview. I don't remember any secret tunnel or anything. I just remember being taken out of a crib while Impa rushed off." Mindim cocked her head to the side.

"Impa, you say?" she asked. Zelda nodded.

"She's the only one I can really remember." Mindim made a half frown as she looked at Zelda who had honesty in her eyes.

"Impa was in fact the nursemaid and close to the royal family." Mindim said thoughtfully. She smiled. "I'll talk to Leuell and see what I can do for you sweetie." Zelda returned the smile. Madame Mindim looked back down to her piles of rupees and picked out a mixture of them. "Here, you two take these and go out into town, find something fun to do. Plenty of shops and sights to see." Zelda took the rupees and looked down at them, confused. The amount equaled back up to what they'd owed for hot water and food, which was eighty rupees.

"This is exactly the amount we paid you last night. Don't you need it?" Mindim inwardly laughed at the girl.

"Does it look like I need any?" she asked, motioning to her large supply of rupees. "I don't need it, trust me. Now go on, both of you! Have some fun." Zelda clutched the rupees in her hand and looked down at her fist as she smiled.

"Thanks, Ms. Mindim," she said as she looked up and met eyes with the older woman.

"Don't mention it." Mindim replied with a wave of her hand. Zelda turned to Link and grinned at him.

"Looks like this turned into a vacation after all!"


	16. Chapter 15

_omg I'm sorry. latelatelatelatelatelatelate latelate. Sorry. _

_Anyway, it seems as though in my time away I've gained a follower, Daicha. Thank you very much for that, and the author alert I believe it was. I alt 3 you. _

_I will let you all in on some news though. Currently, I'm working on an original cover for this story, one of Zelda, Link, and Ganondorf. And the Triforce. Wow that sounds cliché, lol. Anyways, I'll be doing that when I'm not doing homework and when I'm not writing this story that I should totally be more concerned about. Ha. _

_Finally, next week I may not post a story, though I will shoot for Friday of this week, because I'm going to Didney Worl next week with school. FUN. _

_Okay. So I'll leave you to your reading. _

_Read, Review, Enjoy!_

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Link and Zelda went out and about the Capitol of Hylia, thoroughly enjoying themselves. They'd found countless things to do. The pair had gone to different shops, including a toy shop where hand crafted masks were sold. There, they'd tried on many of the masks, making fun of one another as they did so. Afterwards, they'd gone down to the southern market place, enticed by the smells of freshly baked goods. Much to their surprise, only one merchant was a baker on this road. They bought and shared a bread roll from him.

Other people who'd set up shop sold some food goods, some handmade trinkets and such, and others sold various other things. As Zelda and Link walked down the road, they'd passed one stand where an older man was selling a bounty of flowers. When both Link and Zelda glanced that way, the man smiled at them. Picking a flower, he said: "Here, a complementary flower for your lady."

The flower had a short green stem leading up to light purple petals. Zelda smiled as she took it from the man. "Thanks," she said with a grateful smile. The man smiled in return. Zelda and Link walked on, just taking in the sights. When they were finished with looking around, the two headed to the town square where they shared a lunch at the busy cafe. Afterwards, they looked around for any other places to go.

The two ventured down a rather empty alley and found a decorated house at the end of it. A sign that was off to the side of the door read: _'The Amazing Mystical Altinda: Enter If You Dare! 11-9'_ in large curly letters. Zelda turned to Link and looked him in the eyes.

"What do you think it's about?" Zelda asked him Link shrugged.

"We can check it out." Link replied.

"Okay." They entered the door and found themselves entering a smoky and dimly lit room. It smelled of strong incense, causing Zelda to scrunch up her nose. Link's eyes watered due to the smoke. The sound of distorted strings and cryptic lyrics came from a room beyond the one they were currently in, where more lighting was coming from. They walked past countless exotic trinkets, careful not to harm any of them, and made their way to the next room.

Passing through a curtain of beads, they entered a new room that was cleaner than the last one though items still cluttered the outskirts of the room. In the center, cushions for sitting on were placed around a dimly glowing crystal ball. A cloaked figure sat on the ground playing a large instrument with only their nose and mouth showing. These revealed features had an older and feminine look to them.

"I've been expecting you..." the woman said from her seat on the floor. Link rolled his eyes, thinking that to be a cheesy line to say to customers. "I think it was a rather nice catch." Link frowned and his eyes went wide as she said it. The statement that the woman made was obviously directed at Link, for the woman nodded her head in his direction. "Sit, do sit." Zelda and Link followed her orders and sat down on the cushions, Zelda having trouble doing so.

"So, you're a fortune teller I take it?" Link asked dryly, uninterested.

"What observation you have," the woman said quietly, placing the instrument on her lap to the side. Link frowned once more and Zelda smirked at him as she looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "For your fortunes to be told," the woman said, "thirty rupees is all I ask for the two of you." Zelda nodded and pulled the money out of her small wallet, handing it off to the woman who placed it in an unseen pocket. "Think of what is it that you would like to know."

Both Link and Zelda were stumped. What could they possibly want to know about the future? Zelda wanted to know whether she would become the princess, sure, but a bigger question was nagging at her mind and Link's as well. Would there be any more dangers for them to face? Would Ganondorf come back to haunt them, or would everything be fine? Before either one could speak, the woman spoke up.

"Place your dominant hand onto the crystal ball."

Zelda placed her right hand onto one side of the glass sphere, and Link did the same with his left. The orb began to glow. The woman raised her pale hands from her cloak and curled them up about a foot above the crystal.

"Enchanted crystal, grant me your grace. Show me the trials that they shall face!" With a sudden burst of magic, the crystal ball glowed brighter than before. It was almost blinding, causing both Link and Zelda to hide their eyes behind their free arms. The palms of their hands began to lightly burn, making their fingers twitch. The woman stared into the magical orb. Her eyes were fixed on the images that she saw flashing before her. Images of violent battles between the two and monsters, images of instruments of every kind flowing into her vision, images of people who Link and Zelda had met before and some who they hadn't.

Suddenly, the crystal ball went dark. The light it emitted into the air became blood red. Link and Zelda looked down to it, no longer blinded by the light, but now transfixed with it. In the orb, they watched as two miniature versions of themselves stood at stony ruins. In front of them stood Ganondorf, tall and menacing. Link's jaw dropped. It was just like in his dreams. The blood red sky above with black clouds around it, the horrible feeling of dread that seemed to overcome him and the vision.

Zelda watched as well, her own eyes widening at the sight. She had some sort of familiarity with this image, though she couldn't recall where before she'd seen it. A battle ensued in the tiny picture, swords and shields clashing with one another. The little Zelda was knocked away, wounded in the battle, and the little Link was soon cut with Ganon's blade. Ganondorf laughed and laughed and laughed as he watched Link lie on the ground. He raised the sword above his head, both hands gripping onto the hilt. Suddenly, Zelda pulled her hand away from the orb, and Link quickly followed. The image faded just before the little Link was run through, leaving the crystal ball glowing slightly as it had before.

All three were awestricken, and a long period of silence passed. "I...I have never seen such images unfold before my very eyes," said the woman remorsefully. "Your futures appear treacherous. Many evils you will face. I..." The woman paused, not knowing what to say. Instead of continuing her speech, she let out a huff and shrank down under her cloak. Quietly she added, "I am sorry for showing this to you." What else was she to say?

Neither Link nor Zelda responded to the woman. "Let's go," Zelda whispered to Link. Link got up first and helped Zelda to her feet, seeing as she couldn't do so on her own. They hurried out of the house together and back into the city streets. Once they were far from the house, Zelda spoke. "Never again."

~...~...~...~...~

The two spent the rest of their lighted hours in Castle Town walking around, not doing as much as they had before. They were startled with the images of fighting Ganondorf that they'd seen, neither one of them admitting their fears to the other. It meant that all would not be as well as they'd thought.

Soon, the sky began to turn to dusk as the sun set off in the distance. Link and Zelda made their way back to Madame Mindim's, still shaken by the things they'd seen. When they entered the bar, no one but a small group of people, who were Mindim's friends, were there. Mindim watched as they entered, confused by their expressions.

"What's the matter with you?" the woman asked from her place at the bar. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"We might as well have..." Zelda muttered.

"What was that?" Mindim asked, not hearing her. Zelda shook her head.

"Nothing." Mindim cast a look of worry and curiosity to the girl, but shook her head.

"Well, my friends are over there," Mindim said as she pointed over to the group of people at the table in the back. "Leuell knows your situation and trusts it, so it seems. He's the old man. Go over and introduce yourselves." Zelda and Link nodded and headed over to the table. The group was drinking mugs of cold beer, laughing as the man who the two recognized as Tarmig was telling a story.

"And so the guy had asked me, 'But why are you-" Tarmig stopped midsentence as Zelda and Link stepped forward. He looked all over Zelda, his eyes traveling up and down and back and forth. "Oh," he said with a slight chuckle, "well hello there." His voice held an apparent arrogance and suavity. "Aren't you a pretty little thing?" Zelda made a face of distaste at Tarmig, crossing her arms. Link glared at him and gritted his teeth, though Tarmig didn't acknowledge this. "How's about you and I head up stai-" He was cut off by Zelda's right hand striking him across the face.

"Do I look like some sort of _whore_ to you?" Zelda snapped, folding her arms as he grazed his cheek. "Even if I was, I damn well wouldn't sleep with you, you self-important prick." The man was taken aback by Zelda's words, perhaps never hearing them out of a woman's mouth before. The others were awestricken as well, except for Link who had a small smile on his face.

"Well, looks like she's got some fire to her," the oldest man of the group, Leuell, said with a chuckle.

"No woman's ever done or said anything like that to me..." Tarmig stated sadly, his ego hurt.

"Surprised it hasn't happened before..." Zelda muttered. She turned to the older man who sat at the middle of the table and lightened her expression. "Are you Leuell?" she asked, confirming whether or not the man was the one with who she needed to speak. The man nodded with a smile.

"I am. And you, you must be the self-proclaimed Zelda?" he asked casually.

"I am." she replied. The two stared at each other for a few moments before Leuell's grin grew.

"You resemble the queen, just like Mindim said. She looked just like you in her younger years." Zelda smiled. "Have a seat, both of you." Zelda and Link nodded and took a seat across from the man after getting two chairs that were set off to the side.

"So," Zelda started. She paused and rested her forearms on the table, loosely clasping her hands together. "You know how we can get to the castle?" Zelda asked, her smile suddenly fading. "I- we, went there today and the guards were not very pleasant, to say the least. Mindim said you knew something about a secret passage that they had used as an escape route." Zelda paused and looked down to her hands and twiddled her thumbs. Leuell sighed.

"Yes, I know of the secret passage." he said simply. "It was their escape route when the raid on the castle occurred," he said with a pause, looking up to Zelda as he expected her to say something. "I led them down there along with a few of the other knights. It wasn't very pleasant then, and I'm sure it isn't much nicer now."

"Can you tell us where it starts and ends?" Zelda asked, her eyes pleading the elder man. "Please?"

"I can." Leuell folded his arms and narrowed his eyes. "But how can I know to trust you?" Zelda backed her head up and opened her mouth to speak as she looked around, thinking of something to say. She came up with nothing.

"Well... you can't." she said simply. She looked up to his eyes and pursed her lips. "I have no proof of… of even being remotely close to the Royals, and…. Well… you just can't trust me because of it." The old man smiled at her.

"You seem very wise, knowing the answer to that one." he said with a smirk. Zelda became confused with his cheery tone of voice and expression, and also with his statement. Sensing her confusion, Leuell explained it for her. "Most people would respond to such a question by spitting out examples of why they should or shouldn't trust a person. When you say that you can't, you can. They've shown their honesty by not attempting to answer the question." Zelda was still confused but shook her head, ridding herself of the question.

"So... you'll tell us?" Zelda asked, her voice low for whatever reason. Leuell nodded.

"It starts just on the outside of the city's walls," he started. "Leave the entrance of the town, nearby where the stables are. Head south from there and follow along the walls of the city until you find where the water from the city leads out. Once you find it, an elevated sidewalk leading into the depths of Hyland's sewer system will lead you into a tunnel that goes under the city. Water will be there, so don't be shocked if you have to get wet.

"After you've found your way through most of it, you'll come to what looks like an abandoned part of the castle, which it is. This part used to be a dungeon, imprisoning people who had gone against the ancient Hylian throne long before even _I _was here. In this section you will keep going along until you see a set of stairs that are falling apart. At the top of them will be a wooden hatch. Push it open and you will be within the castle. It may be a long, confusing trip around but you'll find your way eventually." Zelda furrowed her eyebrows once again.

"While I understand your directions completely," Zelda stated, "I don't understand why the king and queen would have such a... informal, grimy, whatever you want to call it, escape route."

"That is because hardly anyone knows about it. Ganondorf and his tribe did not know of it when they attacked the castle, and so it was safe for them."

"Hmm..." Another moment of silence was shared. "When should we leave?" The old man leaned back in thought.

"Well, as of now they are possibly preparing for dinner and rest. The castle will be guarded more heavily at night. Perhaps you should take your leave early in the morning when the sky is still dark. You will be able to sneak into the sewers with ease at this time as well. Once you're in the castle, you'll have to make your way to the throne room. Try to avoid any and all guards that stand in your way. Once there, speak with them. They are merciful and will most likely not punish you for invading the castle, but for bringing up the subject of their daughter… I would not know."

"You know so much," Zelda said. Leuell nodded.

"Well, I was close to the two at one point in time." he informed with a shrug. "Since then, they have not conversed with me as closely as before."

"Couldn't you have asked for a meeting for us?" Zelda suddenly blurted out, though realizing how selfish she sounded afterwards. Leuell didn't seem to notice as he shook his head.

"Not even I could request a meeting about the princess with them. They have given up hope on finding their daughter." After a paused, he quietly added, "I believe, though, that they gave it up too soon." Zelda found herself smiling once more. She stood up.

"Thank you, so much," Zelda said as she shook his hand. "I cannot express in words how grateful I am for your help." Leuell nodded and shrugged it off.

"It is no trouble at all... Zelda."


	17. Chapter 16

_Sorry 'bout not posting this last night. I was busy out at a parade for Mardi Gras, and for doing some last minute shopping for vacation :P That was fun. Also, I will be able to bring my laptop next week while on vacation because it was unable to be fixed (dunno if I told you it was kinda broken), and so I may or may not post another chapter next week. This one's short, so if I can get one done sometime early next week, then I'll post it when I get internet. Kay? Kay. _

_Read, Review, Enjoy!_

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Zelda and Link went to sleep early that night. Mindim had allowed them to stay another night in the same room they'd had the night before, yet again for free. They'd both taken turns changing back into their own clothes in the room, Zelda being the only one who really required privacy. They went to bed fully dressed, save for their weapons. Zelda was the first one to wake up only a few hours before dawn, now fully rested. She woke Link up soon afterwards.

"Get up," she commanded as she shook a snoring Link. He didn't respond. "Link wake up!" Link woke up, however slowly, but was still drowsy. "Come on, I'm ready to go!"

He yawned and sat up, stretching lazily much to Zelda's discontent. He looked up with droopy eyes to the window and saw that it was still dark out. He turned back to Zelda. "Zelda, it's early."

"You think I don't know that?" Zelda asked, placing her hands on her hips. Looking over her shoulder, she saw his weapons on the ground. She picked them up, and tossed them at him, causing him to jump. "Come on, wake up! You seem lazier than usual." Link scoffed.

"I am no-"

"Oh no no no," Zelda said as she held her hand up, "don't even try to deny it. Now get up." Link frowned and slid out of the bed. Zelda watched him as he slipped his gear over his head. He then reached for his hat, the only article of clothing he hadn't worn to bed, and put it on.

"So what happens if it doesn't take so long to get through the sewer system?" Link asked, now standing.

"Then the more time we're allowed to maneuver through the castle," she stated simply.

"And if that doesn't take so long?"

"The earlier we get to meet them." Link shook his head at her for how easily she had this planned out.

"But Zel, I'm sure they won't want to wake up to some teenaged brats who've broken into the castle just to talk to them. I know I wouldn't." Zelda pouted and crossed her arms.

"You wouldn't want to wake up to anything at all." she sarcastically pointed out. "And besides, I'm sure that dealing with two kids is nothing compared to all of the legal issues and up tight politicians that they have to deal with on a regular basis." Link couldn't retort to her statement for it was most likely true. And why should they care about a couple of teens invading their castle? Leuell had even said that they were merciful rulers, so they wouldn't mind, would they?

The two quickly ended the conversation and made their bed as best as they could before hurrying downstairs. No one was down in the main room, except for Madame Mindim who was straightening up around the bar.

"Well, look who's up early," she said as she picked up a few mugs left on a table. Zelda and Link looked at her, slightly startled by her presence. "Why are you leaving so early?"

"That's what I was asking her," Link said as he rolled his eyes. Zelda crossed her arms.

"Well I wanted to get there as soon as I could. I'm anxious you know." Mindim shook her head.

"Sweetie, if you're gonna want to convince the king and queen that you're there daughter then you're going to want to try and catch them in a halfway decent mood. Early in the morning is not the time that anybody would want to deal with anything even remotely frustrating."

"Exactly!" Link exclaimed, agreeing with Mindim. "So why don't we go back up stairs and sleep for another hour or two?" Just as Link was turning to walk back to the room, Zelda spoke up.

"Well remember how Leuell described the sewers, Link?" she asked with impatience in her voice. Link turned back around. "He said it would be confusing, dark, dank. It's probably even got monsters of some sort in it. I'd say we need some time to go through that place and find our way through." Link let an irritated growl pass his lips.

"Boy, you really value sleep, don't you?" Madame Mindim asked sarcastically. With a smile, she headed back behind her bar and placed the mugs in a sink. "At least eat something before you go," she ordered more than suggested as she placed a bowl of fruit on the table. "Have an apple or some grapes before you go. Can't fight 'monsters' on an empty stomach." Mindim winked at the two and grabbed a broom to start sweeping up the place. Zelda frowned, not caring about a meal while Link on the other hand was eager to eat some. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Zelda shook her head and followed Link to the bar.

The two quickly ate an apple each and a small bunch of grapes. Madame Mindim made them both two small glasses of water, which they drank, before they set out. Zelda and Link left the tavern and Castle Town after a quick debate on whether or not they should take Epona (the decision made being no). They headed for the south outer wall of the Capital of Hylia.

After about thirty minutes of following the large wall all the way to the back, they saw a long stretch of white stones leading down and away from town.

"That must be the entrance to the sewers," Zelda stated as they stopped walking. They stood for a moment just looking out to the stretching bricks. Finally, Zelda began to walk. "Let's go."

They set out and followed the bricks until it came to an opening. Shallow water flowed out of the opening and ran far down into the Hyland field; farther than they could see from their current view point. A short flight of stairs led down to the sewer's outlet. Zelda was the first to go down them, with Link following close behind. Now down into the brick laden sewer outlet, the sound of trickling water echoed loudly off of the walls. The water rushed over their boots, which absorbed very little of the excess water. They stared into the darkness of the sewer tunnel ahead of them.

"Link?" Zelda asked quietly as she looked ahead.

"Yeah?" Zelda paused, not knowing what to respond with. She supposed she had just wanted to assure he was there. Link turned to her after he hadn't received a response for a while. "You sure about this?" he asked.

"Yes." Link nodded to her. The two headed into the darkness of the sewers, bracing themselves for what dangers may lay ahead.


	18. Chapter 17

_And it is a dungeon! Do do do DO! I think you guys may like this chapter, seeing as there is actually some action in it. Not much though. Sorry :P_

_Oh, and my vacation was fun :) I met Doc Brown in Universal Studios, but I didn't get to see his Delorean. Sad face. _

_And while I was away, I seemed to have gotten a new follower for this story, Chenicp! I thank ya very much, from the bottom of my heart Thanks! On with the story._

_Read, Review, Enjoy!_

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The air was damp and cold, the musty scent of rotten water and mold wafting about. The sound of trickling, dripping water echoed throughout the sewer's tunnel. The tunnel itself was pitch black.

Zelda and Link had been walking through the shallow waters for what had seemed to be forever. They'd remained close as it had gotten darker, and kept near the wall so that they could feel their way around. Silence had been shared all the way throughout the tunnel, but now, Zelda broke it.

"Ugh," she scoffed, her voice echoing all around them, "this is place is way too dark. I wish we had a lantern or a torch." Link frowned, though he knew Zelda couldn't see.

"I know," he agreed. "I wish we'd known how dark it really was down here."

"Is there anything you may have that could help us?" Zelda asked, crossing her arms and leaning up against the wall. Link waited to reply, thinking if he may have had anything on him that might even help. He knew he didn't.

"No," he said. Zelda scoffed again.

"This is so stupid!" she shouted, throwing her arms up into the air. "I don't understand how Leuell was able to sneak out the king and queen in this place. It's rotten, dirty, and dark. We could have found another way into the castle had we waited! I wish we would have." Link rolled his eyes.

"Well, you were the one so bent on going so early." he pointed out.

"….."

"Well it's true." Link said.

"I know, I know," she admitted. Under her breath, she added: "...stupid impatience."

Another silence was shared as they continued to stand there, the only sounds heard being of the water. Zelda was trying to think of a solution, as was Link. Finally, though, Zelda had it. She thought back to a few days prior when Ganondorf had attacked Link. She smirked.

Quietly, she held her hands up in front of her stomach, keeping them close together but with a bit of space between them. She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips as she focused her energy to her palms. Slowly, she felt her hands tensing up and power building up within them. She smiled.

"Link?" she said.

"Yeah?"

"...mind your eyes."

"Wait, what are you-" Link was cut off by Zelda who released the energy within her palms. A ball of bright white light formed between her hands, causing the entire setting to brighten within a second. Link backed away and shielded his eyes, which ached from the sudden exposure. Zelda's own eyes did as well and she closed them.

A moment passed as their eyes adjusted to the new bright light. Zelda looked up to Link with a smirk as he rubbed at his eyelids.

"I found us some light," Zelda said with a cheeky grin. Link frowned and glared at her.

"That hurt, you know." Link stated flatly. Zelda shrugged.

"It's not my fault that you didn't heed my warning." Zelda retorted. "Now that we can see, let's get a move on!" she exclaimed.

The two began walking again, no longer needing to stay close to the wall for they had Zelda's magic light. They quietly walked on for another ten minutes without speaking, for Zelda had to concentrate on her magic. She seemed to put a bit too much of concentration onto it though, for she began to sway as she walked.

"Zelda?" Link asked. "You okay?"

Zelda looked to Link who had stopped in place to assure her health. With a lopsided smile, she nodded.

"Yeah, just a little dizzy. Magic isn't quite so simple, unfortunately."

Link nodded and once more they walked. Soon, they saw a dim light far out in front of them. They walked more quickly to it and found that on a wall high above them was a torch. A stairway was against the wall to the right, leading up to an elevated brick sidewalk. They headed up the stairs and were soon onto a dry stone walkway.

Zelda looked up to the dimly glowing torch and let her arms fall to her sides. The golden light that had been in her palms faded away as she leaned against the wall, closing her eyes for a moment so that she might compose herself. Link furrowed his brows.

"Are you _sure_ that you're okay?" he asked. She nodded.

"Yeah, it's just that I need to get used to doing that. I'm surprised it takes so much out of me." she stated with a weak wave of her hand. She let out a quiet huff and looked up. "I don't think I need to use it any more, though. Look, there's torches along the walls," she said as she pointed up. "Maybe they're all throughout this place."

Once again, Link furrowed his brows. Looking up to the lights, he said, "Yeah, but shouldn't they have burned out by now? No one would come down here to keep them lit." Zelda shrugged to him. "It makes no sense."

"Neither does my ability to wield magic." she replied with a smirk. Link nodded. "Let's go!"

Quickly, they hurried off down the walkway. They followed it around a few corners and across a gap all the way to its end. At the end of the path was also the end of the wall.

"What?" Zelda asked aloud as she climbed down from the walkway. "It just ends?" she asked, hopping down onto the ground. Link followed suit.

"Maybe that locked up room was what was connected to the castle, Zel." Link stated as Zelda inspected the end of the wall.

"Well then how are we going to unlock it to check and see?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips. "We have no key." Link shrugged.

"We could fetch a locksmith," he said jokingly. Zelda just stared at him. "Or we could go and try to find one," he stated simply. "A key I mean. There's a chance that there's a key around here somewhere." To this, Zelda raised a brow at him.

"You're insane, Link." she stated simply.

"Hey, it doesn't hurt to look." he replied with a shrug. Zelda nodded.

"Well okay. And where exactly will we go and find this key?"

"Well," Link began as he walked to the opposite side of the tunnel, "maybe we could explore this walkway now," he stated as he motioned his arms over to the stone staircase that led up to another pathway that Zelda hadn't noticed. She blinked.

"Oh. Okay."

The two headed up the stairs up to the new walkway and followed it back towards the front of the sewer system, following a turn that they originally had been unable to explore. Within this turn was a darker section of the sewers, for only two flickering torches hung upon the walls. They continued to walk until they found the end of this section.

"So no key, right?" Zelda asked with a smirk. Link rolled his eyes.

"Get over it."

"How are we going to sneak into the castle now? Maybe a locksmith, like you said? You think maybe Ms. Mindim and her little group know a shady locksmith who might help?" Link stifled a laugh at that statement. "Or maybe-" Zelda was cut off by the sound of short echoing screeches that reverberated around the tunnel. They looked up and around, recognizing the sound instantly.

"Keese?" Link asked loudly, still looking around as he was confused by the sounds that seemed to come closer.

"Nooo," Zelda exclaimed sarcastically as she looked around with him. "What else would it- OW!" Link jerked his head over to face her and caught sight of her quickly snapping her right hand up to her cheek. She sneered and reached for her sword, whipping it out and slashing at the keese that was currently trying to fly away from her. Link drew his own sword and began to slash at the bats that had appeared. He and Zelda continued to do this until the group of keese was exterminated.

When they were done, Link sheathed his sword and looked over to Zelda who was now holding her sword with her left hand as she used it as a mirror to examine her right cheek.

"Damn keese," she muttered as she swiped away at some blood that was dripping down her face. The cut was fairly long, starting at the corner of her cheekbone and almost reaching to her lips. It was about a centimeter in width, but it wasn't too deep.

"You okay?" Link asked. Zelda nodded slowly, but didn't look up to him.

"It just stings a bit, that's all. It got me with its claw." Again, Zelda swiped away at the blood, unintentionally smearing some of it across her cheek. Scowling, she lowered her sword and sheathed it at her side. The two then looked down to the lower part of the sewer where a pile of newly dead keese was lying. Something seemed to glint in that pile.

"What's that?" Zelda asked, pointing to the shinning object. Link hopped down and went over to it, taking what it was from the bat. From its claw he removed a single old rusting silver key. He smiled.

"Exactly what we came to look for," he stated proudly, holding it up for her to see. Her mouth hung ajar.

"Are you serious?" she asked. "That flying _rat _had a key?" Link nodded smugly. "What the hell?" Link shrugged and tossed it up to an unprepared Zelda, who managed to catch it. Link then backed up on some opened floor and ran up to the wall, making contact with it using his feet. He climbed up it and grabbed onto the ledge, hanging there for a moment. Quickly, he hoisted himself up and back onto the walkway.

"Was it worth taking one for the team then?" Link asked with a playful tone. Zelda frowned.

"Shut up, Link."

The two then continued to make their way through the sewers, heading back to the locked room by traveling up the walkway they'd first taken. Around the corners and over the gap they'd once jumped, they were soon there. Zelda had the honor of unlocking the door. Once she'd unlocked it, she removed the large lock from its place on the door and threw it off to the side. She flipped the metal piece it had been blocking off from the door and finally pushed it open.

Once the door was opened and the two were inside, they found that the inside of here wasn't much brighter than outside. A single torch hung on the wall to their right, granting them a slight view of the room. Just ahead of them and to their lefts were cages that had at once been used to hold prisoners. Shackles still hung from the walls where they'd once imprisoned people. One cell even had remnants of a skeleton lying within it. Neither one were pleased at the sight.

"Uh, Link?" Zelda asked, shrinking behind him as they stepped farther up in the room. "That wouldn't happen to be a stalfos, would it?"

Link turned his head to Zelda and raised a brow at her cowardly demeanor that had seemed to just take over. He turned his focus back to the skeleton and walked forward. To him, it appeared to be a normal skeleton, with no swords or weaponry near it.

"It isn't," he declared. Zelda still looked at it with wary eyes. "What's the matter? It's not a stalfo."

"I just don't like it," she said simply. "I mean, who would actually _like _to see someone's bones just, you know, lying around?" Link nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." he replied. He cast a look over to the bones. After a moment of silence, he asked: "Who do you think they could have been?" Zelda slowly shook her head.

"I don't know." Suddenly, she turned away from the cage and looked ahead to the wall farthest back. Upon it was an old and rusted bar lever. `Zelda walked towards it.

"What do you think this does?" she asked, changing the subject. Link followed her over to the bar and looked it over as he tried to think of what it could do. He hadn't a clue. He shrugged.

"Let's push it up and see if it does anything." he suggested. Zelda nodded and placed her hands on the left side of the bar, Link placing his on the right. Together, they pushed it with much effort but were able to successfully lift it above their heads.

"What do you think it did?" Zelda asked. Before Link could reply, a loud booming sound occurred outside of the room. They jumped.

"Let's go see what it did," Link suggested, heading for the door. Zelda nodded in agreement and followed him. As soon as they stepped out, they could see the change that had occurred. The water levels had plainly risen, and were in fact still rising. From where the water had come, they'd no clue.

"All this in a matter of seconds?" Zelda asked. Link shrugged and shook his head.

"Just go with it." he said. She scowled and followed the flow of water back to its source. It was coming from the end of the wall. As she watched more water pour out from the wall, she cocked her head. Her expression changed to a more curious one as she did so. Suddenly, an idea came to her.

"Why go with it," she said with a smile, "when you can go against it?"

"Huh?" Zelda pointed over to the wall, showing Link the water's source.

"Look," she commanded, grabbing his shoulder lightly, "the water's coming from over there. Do you think there's some connection to the castle through _there_?" Link cocked his head to the side as he looked over there. Zelda withdrew her hand and crossed her arms casually.

"If we could beat the current, then yes. Maybe. But how will we-" Zelda shook her head at him.

"We won't beat it. We wait it out. There can only be so much water to spread out, and I'm pretty sure most of it's out already," she stated, motioning to the water that had almost reached the walkway.

Zelda and Link then followed the walkway back to its end, and by the time they'd reached it, the water had stopped flowing as rapidly as it had been, though a small current was still present. The water now reached the walkway, leaving a shallow bit of water to walk through.

"So, who goes first?" Zelda asked, placing her hands on her hips. Link let out a huff.

"I guess you want me to, right?" Zelda shrugged quickly with a goofy lopsided smile. Link shook his head and turned around to face the water. He took a breath and quickly let it out. Just as he was about to dive in, he felt two strong hands push against his back, catching him off guard. He let out a yelp and fell into the water, abruptly popping up for air soon after. A giggling Zelda greeted him.

"EVERYTIME!" Zelda shouted, her voice echoing through the tunnels. "Every single time that we go swimming, you fall for it! Literally!" Link glared at her, unamused. She looked down to him after calming down, she smirked. She leaned down and placed her hand out for him. "Okay, I know, that was really mean but you know what? I'm gonna be nice and let you-" Link already knew where she had been going with this. He'd readily reached out a hand and pulled her in with him, getting his payback. She came sputtering up soon after.

"Hey! I was going to let you do that when I was ready!" Zelda yelled grumpily.

"Yeah, well payback's no fun when someone _lets _you do it. Now come on, this water's cold and I want to get out of it. Let's swim."


	19. Chapter 18

_Kinda short, but that's because I broke this one up into two separate chapters, one of which you may see sooner than the weekend! So be grateful! Map will be posted on dA along with the next chapter. Sorry 'bout that too ^_^;_

_In other news, I now own Hyrule Historia and think that it is an absolutely AMAZING collection of Zelda concept art. I love it so much! And, because of that book, I've been sketching concept art of future characters and outfits like crazy, and have been thinking of future concepts that I may use. That book is epic for that._

_So, I'm pretty much done. Remember that I love reviews. Lol. I love 'em. _

_PS. Just wondering... does anyone see any continuity errors in this story? I've gone back and read it, and somethings just don't match up, or whatever. May just be me._

___Read, Review, and Enjoy!_

* * *

Zelda and Link swam through the cold waters of the sewers, finally surfacing for air when they had the chance to. As they popped up from the cold waters, gasping for breath, they saw a new, larger room in which they'd entered. It appeared to be an old dungeon, for it was nicer than the sewer beforehand, but was still as poor in quality as a dungeon could be.

"I-It's s-s-so cold," Zelda stated, her teeth chattering.

"Well," Link said as he shivered, "here's a thought: Get out of the damned water!"

Zelda shot a glare and pout over to him, but soon followed his instructions. The two swam over to the edge of the water and to the dungeon's floor, where they hoisted themselves up and out of the water.

Zelda brushed some water off of her arms, and then pulled forth her braid so that she may wring it out as much as she could. Link, on the other hand, wringed out his hat, for he found it to be the only part of his attire that he might be able to salvage. After he straightened it out and placed it back atop his head, he looked around.

"Where do you think the water came from?" he asked, noticing that there was no place for the water to have collected. Zelda looked around after flipping her braid behind her head, searching for someplace the water may have come from.

"Well it had to come from somewhere's in here. Do you think maybe- hey look!" she exclaimed, pointing to the far end of the dungeon. There, the two of them were able to see a large opening that led into complete darkness with water flowing out from it. "I think I found your water source." Zelda said with a smirk.

"Think it connects to the moat around the castle?" Link asked.

"I don't think so. It might. Maybe it connects to one of the rivers, like the Zora's River maybe?" Zelda suggested. Link shrugged.

"Well, no matter the source, we need to get going. Come on, _princess._ Let's go." Link said, standing up as he reached out a hand. Zelda rolled her eyes at the name.

"Why say it with such mockery?" Zelda asked as Link helped her up. "After all, if I prove to be the Princess of Hylia, then I could probably have you arrested."

"What, you're gonna have me thrown in the dungeon?" he sarcastically inquired as they began to walk.

"Hmm, that sounds like a very nice plan. I thank you Link for that suggestion," Zelda gave a quick makeshift curtsy.

"Yeah, just don't have anyone come to free me to save you again should you be kidnapped." he teased. Zelda frowned.

"Don't joke about that. You nearly died there, you know." Link shrugged. "What? That's it? A _shrug?_ The hell is wrong with you?"

"Hey, it was to protect you. We're both here safe now anyway, so does it really matter?" Zelda shifted her gaze downward and shrugged.

"I just... I don't want to see that happen again, okay?" Link nodded, completely understanding. He didn't want to see either one of them in that situation again either.

Link and Zelda continued walking through the large chamber, heading towards a large archway where a door may once have stood. As they neared, however, they slowed their pace. A huge spider web hung within the stone doorway, blocking their path. This was not their main concern, however.

"Link?" Zelda asked, slowly drawing her sword, "Is that the web for a skulltulla?"

He nodded.

"What kind of skulltulla would make one so big?" Zelda asked, looking around.

"Well rather a large one, I'd presume." Link retorted. Zelda rolled her eyes. "I don't think there's one in here, but there may be one in the next room. Just be careful, and watch your back." Link ordered as he drew his own sword and shield. Zelda nodded, listening to his commands. Link began to cut away at the web, making a path for him and Zelda to pass through.

They passed the web and cautiously looked around. It was dark in this next room, but there was light enough from torches spread across the walls to see. Some of the farther reaches of the room, however, were not visible to them. They strained their eyes to see into these depths.

"I don't see anything, Link. Do you?" Zelda asked. Link shook his head.

"I don't." He gave one last look around before sheathing his sword and placing his shield behind his back. Zelda hesitantly sheathed hers. They walked ahead towards a set of stairs that led farther up into the dungeon room, pushing the thoughts of spiders to the back of their minds.

As they were reaching the stairs, Zelda heard a shuffling behind them. She stopped in place and turned her head. Link looked to her.

"Did you hear that?" she asked quietly, her right hand twitching at her side, eager to draw her sword. Link took in a breath through his nose and held it as he listened. All was quiet. Then, then he heard it. A slight shuffling to their far left. No, wait, it was to their right. Behind them?! He opened his mouth and let out the breath. A mixture of a screech and a hiss sounded behind them. They spun around on their heels and gasped. _Spiders._

Both Link and Zelda quickly drew their swords as the skulltulla gave another hiss to try and scare them. It didn't work.

Zelda and Link each took to their own sides of the room to put some space between the spiders and them. As they each stood there, ready to fight, they counted the skulltulla that were there. _Four. _

"Where's there weak spot?!" Zelda called out as two of the spiders began to make their way to her.

"It's their underbellies!" Link replied as he slashed at one of the over grown arachnids. "Flip them over and stab them in their abdomen! That'll kill them!"

"Got it!"

Zelda got to work at the skulltulla, slashing at them to figure out the best way to try and flip them over. Slashing upwards at their front wasn't very effective, nor was slashing horizontally. Finally, after becoming frustrated with herself and the beasts, she let out a yell and conducted a spin attack, which managed to knock one of the spiders over on its side after the end of her slash. Just as she was about to lunge and stab it in its guts, the second skulltulla which she had _not _flipped over shot out a sticky web at her, wrapping her up tight.

"Ugh!" she yelled as she fought against the twine like string. The spider neared her and barred its fangs at her. As she saw this, she gasped, believing herself to become the next one with wounds needing treatment.

As Zelda was making to close her eyes, a distinct _'Hyahh' _sounded through the dungeon. She looked up to see Link slashing at the spider's back in order to distract it. She was in a daze.

"Zelda get out of that web!" Link ordered sternly as he knocked the skulltulla on its side. Zelda listened to his instructions and snapped out of her daze. She struggled with the web a bit more but was finally free when the spider that she'd knocked down had gotten back up.

She readied herself and took a split second to judge where to hit the spider. It didn't take her long to figure it out this time. Zelda sliced diagonally upward from her left, which was the skulltulla's right, successfully knocking it onto its back once more. She jumped into the air as she raised her sword above her head, then as she was landing on the spider, stabbed it through its middle. It let out a short cry of pain before she drew her sword and hopped off of it.

Zelda watched the creature shrivel up and die, practically vaporizing into a small cloud of fog shortly after. She looked around to see if there were any more spiders to be seen, but found only one which Link was killing off at the moment. She sheathed her sword at her side and hurried over to him.

"You okay? Injured at all?" she asked, hoping that he hadn't been harmed. He shook his head.

"I don't think so, at least. If I am, a small scratch or something. Nothing to worry about." Zelda nodded to him as he was sheathing his own weapons.

"Was the spider that you fought that size or close to it?" she asked. Link shook his head.

"No! Didn't I tell you the size of the spider already?" he asked.

"You didn't specify, obviously." she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Well," he said as he paused in thought, "It was maybe- no, not that big. Hmm... probably about the size of Yu-May's home and Myrdi's home combined. Give or take some." Link stated. Zelda gawked.

"It was _that _big?!" she asked, astonished. Link nodded.

"Yeah. Damned thing put up a fight too." he stated with smirk. "But you already knew that."

"Well no duh; I've seen the mark it left you! But it was truly that big? You aren't kidding, are you?" Zelda asked, just to assure. She wasn't sure she would entirely believe him, but he seemed rather serious.

"It was that big, at least estimated. It was bigger than the ones we just fought, that's for certain." Zelda gulped. "Now come on, let's get going." Zelda nodded. She couldn't wait to get out of the sewers and ancient dungeon. Link began to walk off towards the large staircase ahead of them. "Hopefully we're near the castle now and can meet the king and queen." Pausing, Link turned his head to her and smirked. "All for your sake, of course."

"Hey! What's _that _supposed to mean_, hero boy_?!"


	20. Chapter 19

_Ugh, I'm sorry I haven't updated. I've been busy with school, and I've actually been a little depressed lately. Plus minor writers blocks have been coming and going as well :P_

_Anywho, as promised, here is the link to my deviantart gallery for the story: ( gallery/38309147)_

_There, you should find a map of the sewers of Hyland, and maybe some new concept art of characters and the like ;) I will say though that there may sometimes be spoilers posted over there, such as images of what is to come, but nothing to major. And I'll post more later. I just don't care enough to now, lol._

_Oh! I almost forgot! Big thanks to TechyZeldaNerd who has reviewed this story and has added it to their alerts! I really appreciate it! _

_Anyway, Read, Review, and Enjoy! _

* * *

Zelda and Link had made their way up the long stairway and to another room smaller than the last. Soft light spread throughout the room, which was a rather curious thing for no light source that they could detect was around. The room they were in was grey, the stones archaic and faded. In front of them was a broken and stony staircase that had perhaps once led up to something great, but now only ran into a wooden section of the ceiling of the room. And that is all it had seemed, at least until they took a moment to recognize it. It was wooden part of the ceiling, yes, but it was a hatch.

"Aha! That has to be it!" Zelda exclaimed joyfully as she ran up the steps. She stopped as she was midway up the stairs and turned to Link. "Well, what are you doing? Come on, let's get this thing open!"

Link shook his head disapprovingly and rushed up the stairs after Zelda. The two stopped upon a stair that allowed them to stand up and to reach the hatch, thus forcing them to crouch somewhat. They both looked over it, trying to find any sort of lock, hinges, handle, or anything that may allow them to open it.

"Do you think we should just try to push it open?" Zelda asked. Link shrugged in response.

"I don't see anything hinting otherwise." Zelda nodded. She looked up and placed her hands on the thing, and added force behind that in hopes of opening it.

"Ugh!" she exclaimed, adding more force behind it. "It- Won't- Budge!" Finally she withdrew her hands and took a few steps down so that she may get a better view of the hatch. "How are we going to open it?"

"You think maybe we could tear the planks off?" Link asked. Zelda looked up to the boards.

"But there's something heavy on top. What if that falls on us?"

"I've got a shield," Link suggested jokingly with a shrug. Zelda rolled her eyes.

"Whatever."

Zelda drew her sword and took a step down to examine the wood and to try and find a good board to try and pry open. Towards the middle she found it. She lifted up her sword and jammed it into the seam.

"Watch yourself," she commanded lightly. Link nodded and took a step away from her.

Zelda pushed down onto her sword, using it like a crowbar in an attempt to pry off the wooden plank. She let out a grunt as she pushed down harder onto it, only successful in curving the length of her sword. Just as Zelda was about to release the sword from her grasp, she caught sight of Link wedging his own sword into the opposite side of the board and pushing down on it. The two tried hard to pry off the wooden plank, but were failing.

Suddenly, they heard a loud crack sounding. They looked up to the board and saw that it was now cracked down the middle, but not completely. Zelda and Link both shared a look, and then simultaneously pressed down on their swords before hearing a loud series of cracks come from the board.

The board snapped in half and fell out of its place, with numerous stones and pebbles following. Link and Zelda ducked out of the way, but were careful to remain upon the staircase. Shortly after when the rocks stopped falling, they looked up and could now see light seeping through where the board had once been.

Through the small opening, the two could see what appeared to be the inside of a tower. It was old and unattended, such as the dungeon they were in was, but they knew it connected to the outside world due to a soft, natural, light source, that being a window far above them. Not much more was to be seen from their current position, but it was enough to motivate them.

Link and Zelda continued their labors. One by one, they snapped off the boards. Rubble fell each time another board came off, but they easily evaded the falling rocks and continued. Soon enough, after breaking down six of the boards, they'd made a clearing large enough to pass through. Neither of them walked up the stairs, though. They stared up as though in awe.

"Did...did we really just break into a castle?" Zelda asked in disbelief.

"Heh...I think so..." Link replied.

Without another word, Zelda was the first to head up into the tower. She followed the steps, their path once blocked, now open and leading into the castle. Once she was up, Link followed.

Now completely in the tower, they took a short moment to look around. The entire chamber was rather dull, for the brick laden walls were a dusty grey and nothing but an old and faded Hylian piece of tapestry hung upon it. A spiral stair case that had started below the boards they'd just broken up twisted along the walls, travelling up and up the tower. Three small windows were set in the walls as you travelled up the stairs.

When they were done taking in the look of the room, Zelda once again took the lead and began to head up the narrow, winding steps. Up and up they went, eventually going up what they guessed to be three levels, but that was judged by each window they passed.

Eventually, they came to a section of the stairs which leveled out for about a yard and a half, with a door way leading to the outside just to the right of them. Zelda looked over to Link, with one eyebrow raised. He shrugged back, as if to say, 'Why not?'

Zelda turned back to the door and, though hesitant, pushed it open a crack. She slid to the opening of the door, sticking her face in the crack and only opening it ever so slightly more. Zelda looked out and saw nothing but a narrow, empty bridge leading over to another tower which led to the castle. She quickly turned to Link and nodded, motioning for him to follow her.

They walked out of the tower and onto the walkway. The early morning light allowed them to know that they'd spent quite some time within the sewers of Hyland. It seemed as though they'd spent an hour or two down below the Capital of Hylia.

Zelda walked towards the railing of the walkway which met her at chest level. Link followed.

"The throne room is probably somewhere's within that main section of the castle," she said, pointing a finger down to the main portion of the castle. "And to get there we need to..." Zelda trailed her finger up from the castle and to another tower that was connected to the one they'd previously been to, then continued, "go through there."

"And while getting there, we'll have to avoid guards, right?" Link added. Zelda let out an irritated sigh and nodded.

"Yes. I think more of them would be within the main castle, though, don't you?" Zelda asked.

"I guess. Haven't you read about castles? You should know some about what goes where Zel." Zelda shook her head at Link's statement.

"I wouldn't know where a king and queen would place their soldiers, Link. That's all personal preference." Zelda took a moment to pause and glance over to the tower. "But," she said, "I do know that it could be a weapons' stronghold. So, maybe there are some guards in there. Whatever is in there, let's just be cautious, alright?"

"Right."

The two continued on to the next tower, in which they found to be exactly as Zelda had predicted. It was another, mostly empty tower, though it appeared to be newer than the last, and upon all of the walls hung weapons of some sort. Bows, bludgeons, swords, and even bags of bombs hung throughout the hollowed chamber, and many were staitioned on the bottom level. Along the walls as well were some small alcoves where weapons and other supplies were, with one every ten or so feet down the stairs.

"Huh," Zelda said as she scanned the walls, "there's a lot of stuff in here."

She spotted one thing in particular which she happened to fancy and headed over to it a few steps down. It was a white recurve bow with a large midsection, but the grip upon it settled comfortably into Zelda's hands. Just as she was preparing to pull it back to test its strength, the two heard a loudly creaking door from below. Their hearts stopped.

"I still do not understand the castle checks to which we have been assigned. There has not been an intruder within these castle walls -or the city for that matter- since the Civil War. And even then, only that thieving race of the Gerudo were the only ones to penetrate, and only once had they done so!"

"At any moment there could be an intruder lurking within the castle walls. Never let your guard down."

As the two had realized, there were soldiers lower within the tower. Zelda had rushed to put the bow back as carefully and quickly as possible, and Link had searched for someplace to hide. A small niche, which thankfully had room to fit into, was close by them and so Link motioned for Zelda to follow him down to it. Link fitted himself into the alcove and hid behind a stack of crates, and Zelda crouched down behind another stack of two crates. The guards continued their conversations.

"...did you hear about the two who wished for an audience with the King and Queen yesterday?" the first soldier asked.

"No." the second replied, seemingly uninterested as they walked up the stairs of the tower.

"Well, what I had heard from a few other soldiers was that they had wanted to meet their majesties in order to discuss the possibility of the woman being the Princess Zelda!" The second guard turned his head over to the first as if his interest had been peeked.

"Hmph. And so were they let in to discuss it?"

"Oh no. The others said that the two were absolutely rude and boisterous when they made their request. Upon denial, I heard that the woman practically threw a tantrum!" Zelda opened her mouth as though to defend herself, but bit her tongue and continued to listen in on the approaching guards' conversation.

"What was it that occurred next?"

"As far as I'm aware the soldiers who had been on duty kindly escorted the two away, even in spite of their rowdy behavior. They returned to their posts soon afterwards."

"Damned peasants."

Zelda had a hard time containing herself as the soldiers neared even closer, but when Link tapped her knee with his foot and passed a glare to her, she suddenly had found reason to keep quiet.

The guards passed them without noticing their presence, and had made it to the door leading out of the tower. Just as they were leaving, the first guard spoke up again.

"Oh! Have you also heard of the baker who could not pay his taxes?"

The second guard let out a condescending sigh as they left the tower, the first soldier continuing on about the latest 'Castletown Gossip.' Finally, the door shut.

"Goddess!" Zelda exclaimed once she was sure the soldiers were far away from the tower. "Did you hear the way they were talking about us!? Those pricks! Who do they think they are to talk about us in that way? And 'damned peasants?!' That is not only referring to us but to ALL of the other people within Hylia who they should be protecting for fuck's sake!"

"Zelda!" Link snapped quietly as he came out of the alcove. "Look, they're idiots. Get over it. And besides, they kind of have right to laugh at us going and requesting an audience with the King and Queen. It was stupid. But hey, we're here now and we're going to meet the royals, so just settle down a bit alright?"

Zelda crossed her arms and let out a huff.

"Oh fine," she said, though still rather irritated. "But it was still rude and uncalled for the way they talked about us. _'Damned peasants_,' psh!" Link rolled his eyes at her.

"That's what we are. Now come on."

Zelda followed Link down through the tower and into the next room, which was a small chamber that led two ways. One, a stone archway, led into a warm room filled with the smells of baked goods, an apparent kitchen. The next was a door which led into a room which they were unsure of. Zelda looked to Link.

"Which way should we-?" Zelda was cut off by Link's nod of the head. He motioned over to the door. Zelda nodded in agreement.

Quietly, the two opened the door. Zelda was the first to look out, seeing nothing but a narrow hall before her. She headed out with Link following and they went down to where a large arch way was down the hall. They stopped and peered around the corner.

Nothing was ahead of them, save for an enormous room in which nothing was set. The only objects taking up the room were two large marble staircases which curved up to the second floor. Besides the staircase closest to them was another archway, larger than that in which they stood, and across the room was another archway which led into an area which appeared to be a dining area, at least as far as they could tell.

In the front of this room was a large wooden door, with gigantic stained glass windows on either side of it, obviously marking the entrance of the castle. In the middle of the floor was a golden emblem of the country of Hylia, that of a bird with the three triangles above it. The triangles, however, were not a part of the floor. Instead, golden light which was cast down from a triangular window above the main entrance formed them.

"This has to be the main hall," Zelda stated. "Unless I'm mistaken, the throne room is close by. In fact, its entrance should be between those two stairways. I don't think that there are any guards within this room; at least not now. Even so, we can't just make a straight shot there. We'll make a run for that staircase" -at this, Zelda pointed- "and then stop and check to see if anyone is beyond our sights. If not, we head for the throne room. It should be over there. Got that?" Link nodded to Zelda. "Alright then. On the count of three: One, two, three!"

The two quickly and quietly sprinted across the main hall and to the staircase, where beyond it they saw nothing but a short stretch to another large set of doors, presumably leading into the throne room.

"There it is!" Zelda whisper shouted in awe. "Again, on the count of three: One, two, three!"

Just as they were beginning to run, a deep, authoritative voice called out, making their blood run cold and stopping them dead in their tracks.

"HALT!"


	21. Chapter 20

_Hey, sorry this chapter took so long to get out :/ I couldn't find the right way to end it, plus I've been busy with actually developing the story. I'll talk more about that in a sec._

_Anyway, I'd like to say thank you to TechyZeldaNerd for reviewing the last chapter! I appreciate it very much, and it is very encouraging when people review :) Let's me know that people are in fact reading!_

_Also, you may have noticed an update not too long ago. What happened was, as I was flipping through the story on here to see any mistakes which I've made (one particular line which was repeated in two chapters), I found that I actually SKIPPED a chapter. Chapter 9 to be exact. I couldn't believe I'd done it. But anyway, it's there if you would like to read it, posted far too late :P _

_Now, you can skip this, but it would be kind of nice if you read it. I'd like to refer back to my statement that I have been developing this story...yeah, it's not really going well. I mean, I have the basic plot figured out, but there are a few things which I myself cannot decide upon, including a chapter in the near future which will house an important event which will practically set the entire story, important figures in the story, dungeon designs, and other such things. If there is anyone who would be willing to help me, even with the chance- no, not chance, it will happen- of spoiling the story, to develop this thing more, I'd greatly appreciate it. I can't do it by myself, because I'm so bent on some ideas that I don't want to let them go, but still can't piece them together and make it all work :( So if there's anyone who has an idea, would like to help me, or something else along these lines, I'd really love it._

_Ugh. That was a lot of typing, lol._

_Read, Review, and Enjoy!_

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"Turn and face me!" the same voice called out, now closer.

Link and Zelda turned quietly, holding their breaths. They raised their hands in the air, at about the height of their heads, just to show that they yielded to their captor. When they saw the one who had caught them, they were surprised.

A fit woman, looking no older than her mid-thirties, stood before them. She had tan skin and pale blonde hair, braided into a single strand which fell in front of her face. Narrow red eyes, a flat nose, and plump lips adorned her face. Pointed ears stuck out at the sides of her head. The one thing, however, that stuck out the most to both Link and Zelda was the tattoo of a red tear drop streaming down from one of her eyes, along with three triangles of the same color above her eye.

"Extend your hands out in front of you and keep still!" she ordered menacingly. Link and Zelda did as they were told, and the woman pulled from behind her wire from within a large spool, and bound their hands. Quickly and swiftly had she done Zelda's, but when she reached Link's she had hesitated, but for no longer than a second. When she was done, she tugged on it as though it were a leash. She looked up to them.

"If you wish to keep your heads, you will follow silently and submissively. Am I understood!?" Zelda and Link nodded once in unison without a word. Then, the woman began to walk.

She led them across the main hall and through to the dining area which they'd seen before from a far. Windows let light flood into the area, creating a peaceful morning atmosphere. It was mostly void of life, except for a few servants and guards at the back, as well as at the far end of the room where a single table upon an elevated stage was set for a couple. Two voices were emitted from the table, that of a man and woman. They echoed throughout the chamber, laughter following them every so often.

The woman who had been leading Zelda and Link to this room turned and pressed a button upon the spool of wire. She passed a glare to the two as she did so, as if to say, 'Try something. I _dare_ you.' The woman went off ahead to the table, Zelda and Link no longer having to follow. Loudly and professionally she called:

"Your majesties!"

Zelda and Link's mouths fell ajar as the woman said this and kneeled. Had she addressed the king and queen of Hylia? Of course she had! Who else would be called majesties?

The king and queen arose from their table, the queen motioning for the woman to stand.

"Yes Ilda, what is it?" she asked kindly. Ilda arose and turned her head into the direction of Zelda and Link.

"It is these two, your highness," she stated, motioning her right arm over to them. "I had found them wandering within the castle's great hall. _Intruding._" Ilda clicked the spool once more, causing the entire wire to tug Link and Zelda forward. Zelda let out a small wince as it tugged on her bare wrists, for it cut into them. Ilda shot her a look as the two began to walk forward.

"I had captured them and led them here so that your judgment of their breaking and entering may be passed. And I do hope you will forgive me for interrupting your breakfast." The king looked down upon the two pathetic teenagers disdainfully as they stopped walking. They looked up to the two royals.

"Who dares to invade my castle and disrupt my morning meal?!" the king asked with a demanding tone. Zelda glanced over to Link, a doubtful expression cast upon her face. When neither one of them replied the king spoke again. "I demand an answer!"

Zelda gulped.

"W-we are vi-villagers of Ordon, y-your majesty." Zelda answered quietly.

"Villagers of Ordon, you say?" he asked, his tone still deadly. Zelda nodded. "And what purpose do you have for invading my castle?!" he asked.

Zelda looked up to him, her mouth hanging open ever so slightly, but all she could do was let out a short breath and look down.

"I DESIRE AN ANSWER!"

"If I stated my cause then you would never listen." Zelda stated quietly. The king furrowed his brows, yet kept a glare directed at her. The queen was the next to speak.

"Well it is obviously important, and so much that you have both broken into our castle." the queen pointed out, her tone less demanding than the king's, but still as menacing. "And if it is so important and dire," she said, "then what is it?"

Zelda looked over to Link once more, with furrowed brows. Link gave a slight nod of the head.

"If...if your majesties would be willing to listen, I've...I've got something to ask. Something which I wish to find out." Zelda said.

"What is it?" the king asked gruffly. Zelda gulped.

"I...I wish to speak with you about the possibility, the slight chance that I m-may be the lost princess." Zelda's voice had begun to shake as she said this, the knowledge which she had learned at Mindim's bar hanging in the back of her mind.

All was still. All was silent.

The king did not speak, nor did the queen. The servants were silent in the back of the room, the guards the same. Ilda had looked back over to Zelda with shock gracing her features, all traces of her mad stare gone. Link stood quietly, his brows furrowed, and a knot in his stomach. Zelda stood by his side, her face going red as she looked down to the floor.

The queen broke the silence. Low, dark laughter passed the queen's lips.

"Heh... you want to know if _you_ could possibly be the Princess Zelda?" she asked Zelda. "You wish to know if you could _possibly_ be our long gone daughter?"

Zelda did not respond.

"And what is it that you would wish to get out of it?" the queen continued. "Gold? Wealth? _Power_? Did you wish to somehow use us once you had become all snuggly and cozy within the castle, after becoming the 'beloved' princess of Hylia?" she asked. Zelda furrowed her brows at the queens sudden behavior change and looked up to her. Humbly, she said:

"No, I-"

"Then _what?!_" the queen snapped at Zelda, a wild look gracing her features. All in the room were taken aback. "What would you have expected after!? To be _pampered_? To live a lavished life?! WELL YOU NEVER WOULD HAVE GOTTEN IT!"

All went still again as the queen calmed down from her short episode. A deadly atmosphere hung in the air as the queen glared daggers at Zelda.

"You people sicken me," the queen stated. "You believe that you can manipulate others, that you can _overpower_ others. You believe that you can lie and get away with it. Well," she said, her voice reverting to a cold tone of voice, "_you're wrong._"

The queen poorly held back a sneer as Zelda looked up to her, her mouth hanging ajar. She was awestricken at the way the queen had reacted. Zelda had known to expect a negative reaction to her request, but she did _not_ expect something so cruel.

The queen, trembling with rage, turned slowly and pulled out her chair. She carefully sat down with her hands in her lap, closed her eyes, and bit her bottom lip to keep calm.

"Out of my sights," the king growled after looking over to his wife. "Take them out of my sights!"

Ilda immediately and obediently followed the king's instructions, grabbing hold of the metal cord and beginning to leave the dining room with Zelda and Link dragging behind.

As they'd begun to walk, Zelda looked back over to the king and queen. The queen was presently hunched over the table, her elbows on it as her hands held up her head. Her face was red. The king was crouched by the side of the table and looked up to his wife, a hand upon her back and one on her arm as he comforted her. Zelda furrowed her brows as a few tears fell from her eyes.

_No, not like this. We were so close! I...I just have to find out if I'm right, if what I've been told is right. We can't be captured now._

Zelda looked down and overcame the doubts and fears within her mind. With a sudden burst of courage taking her over, she yanked on the metal wires which bound her hands and jerked back around to the king and queen.

"WAIT!" Zelda yelled across the room, ignoring the pain in her wrists as the king and queen to look over to her. Ilda had stopped walking due to the sudden jerk from the cord well, and Link was now looking back over his shoulder for the same reason. "Wait!"

The queen grimaced.

"What is it no-"

"IMPA!" Zelda screamed urgently. "THE RAID!" The king stood up as Zelda said this, and the queen sat up a bit. "SKYVIEW! VITI!" Zelda took a short pause to catch her breath. Finally, she added, "GANONDORF!"

All was once again quiet, yet not all was bad. The king and queen appeared more interested than before.

"What?" the queen asked quietly, yet loud enough for all to hear.

"T-the night I was taken!" Zelda yelled, though she was significantly quieter than before. "There was a raid on the castle! Ganondorf attacked! Impa was there! She took me to Viti!"

"How do you know about Impa? How do you know about Viti?" the king asked as his wife stood up behind him.

"She was my nursemaid!" Zelda said. "And on the night of the raid, she, she took me! She protected me from Ganondorf!"

The king and queen passed a look to each other as another moment of silence over took the room. They finally tore their stares from each other and focused on the outspoken girl in their dining room. The queen stepped forward.

"What else do you know? What about Viti?" the queen asked, her voice now softer and kinder. Zelda gulped and took a small step forward.

"V-Viti's my Grandmother," Zelda said, nervously stuttering. "And, o-on the night of the raid, Impa sent me away with a knight to Skyview village. There, he, he gave me to my Grandmother. She took me away after that."

The queen gulped. _She, she's telling the truth! How in all of Hylia could she have learned that?! She couldn't have- no! Not unless..._

The queen and Zelda looked to each other, their eyes locked. The queen was trying to determine something in her mind, trying to figure out if this girl was lying, to see if she was wrong. But she wasn't, and Zelda's expression plainly showed it.

"Who are you?" the queen asked finally. Zelda swallowed the lump in her throat and clearly spoke.

"I, I am Zelda of Ordon. I've lived with my Grandmother Viti since as far back as I can remember, and have never left that village until just recently. He," Zelda said with a nod over to Link, "can confirm that."

Another silence passed after Zelda had stated her name. The queen and king just stood, dumbfounded. Finally, the queen made an order.

"Ilda," she said with a wave of her hand, "release them both from their binds."

Ilda cast a glance over to the two who she had taken captive, but reluctantly did as she was told. She untied both Link and Zelda's metal binds, releasing them from their iron hold.

"Come here," the queen ordered gently. Zelda walked forward, Link remaining behind.

Zelda reached about two yards from the stage which the king and queen had been dinning on when she stopped and looked up to the two royals. The king and queen looked down to her with awestruck expressions still cast over their features. Eventually, the queen snapped out of it.

"Help me down," she muttered to her husband as she offered him her hand. He took it in one hand and placed another on her back as she hopped down from the stage, her heels clicking the floor loudly as she landed. The queen walked forward, taking gracefully measured strides as she held her hands together in front of her waist, only looking straight to Zelda.

The queen was soon less than two feet away when she stopped. Zelda gulped.

The queen looked Zelda over, and Zelda did the same to her. Zelda noticed the wet spots upon the queen's soft face, immediately letting Zelda know that the queen had begun to cry. _I….I didn't mean to make her cry….._

The queen herself took note of a rather obvious incision across Zelda's right cheek, blood smeared back behind it. The queen sadly frowned.

"The sewers then?" the queen asked, pinching lightly on Zelda's chin to turn her face so that she could get a better look at the cut.

"Y-yes your majesty..."

"And I suppose this came from a creature which has made its home within them?"

Zelda nodded slowly.

The queen's frown grew, but Zelda was confused as of what to make of it._ Is she mad? Is she upset with me?_ But neither thought seemed accurate for the queen's expression. To Zelda, the queen seemed more….melancholy.

"If you do not lie," the queen said, pulling her hand away from Zelda"s chin, and snapping Zelda out of her thoughts, "then tell me how on earth you remembered the raid?"

Zelda gulped.

"Th-that's a long story, y-your highness..."

"I have time."

Zelda was quiet for a short time, hesitant to begin her tale.

"Well, y-your highness, it started when L-Link-"

"Link?" the queen asked, startled. Zelda furrowed her brows. She looked over her shoulder and nodded towards him, showing the queen that's who Link was. Zelda continued.

"-and I were out beginning work in Ordon's ranch, when our village was attacked. We'd been shot at by a boar like c-creature, which after that summoned more of its kind. We got our village together in a wagon and hurried to get away from the monsters. He and I had to ride on the sides. As we rode, a few of the monsters chased us and shot at us with arrows, Link and I specifically. We fell off the wagon and into the woods, where some time later on I was taken."

"You do not know of when you were taken?" the queen asked simply as Zelda paused.

"I'd hit my head after falling off the wagon," she said, looking up to her forehead where the slightest hint of a knot was still to be seen. "I was delirious." The queen nodded. "Eventually though, I woke up and met my captor. He was Ganondorf..."

The king scoffed in disgust at the name, now gaining Zelda and the queen's attention. "That man has caused nothing but trouble!" he exclaimed. "Bringing fear to my kingdom and people...the scoundrel!" The king paused and crossed his arms. A bit more calmly, more concerned, he asked: "What is it that he wanted with you?"

"He kept calling me 'princess,' and saying that I was the child you both had lost. I thought he was crazy. Soon some minions of his to came and told him something, and he told them to bring me another room. After a while, he came to that room and just...waited. Eventually, Link came along and I could see why.

"Ganondorf practically threw me forward to Link and then Link undid my binds, and I tried to warn him that Ganondorf was there, but it was too late. Ganondorf appeared and began to preach a bunch of bull-" at this the queen raised a brow, giving Zelda the hint to stop herself. "I-I mean, he started to talk, gloating about his little plan to use me. He said I was his 'ticket to the Sacred Realm.' I told him he was crazy, that my parents were dead, and that a king and queen would never send their only child off to a random village in the woods.

"He then said that I was right, that you both wouldn't. He said somebody had though, and under his breath he'd muttered, 'It's a good thing that Sheikah, Impa, is dead." Zelda paused and watched the queen sneer. Rage seemed to even light a fire in the woman's blue eyes. Zelda gulped and slowly continued. "Th-that's when I remembered Impa, and that's when I started to get m-my memories back." Zelda paused again and looked to the queen who was still furious with anger. She flashed a look to the king who looked equally angered.

Looking back to the queen, she found that the woman had closed her eyes and was once again trying to hold back a sneer, grimacing instead in the process. The queen inhaled a few jagged breaths through her nose, trying to calm herself down. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked to Zelda. Zelda could no longer see the flames that had been ignited in her eyes once before. They had been snuffed out, their remnants only smoldering faintly behind blue eyes.

"After…after he had said, that, what happened to you and Link?" the queen asked, her voice calm once again.

"He lifted me with magic and threw me against a wall, and I nearly passed out. He and Link began to fight after that. I…I don't remember how long it was, but Link eventually got hit with Ganondorf's sword…." Zelda paused and realized a tear or two had streamed down her face. She looked up to the queen again, finding the royal woman's expression to have changed once again. Her eyes were watery and wide with worry, her lips formed into a long, sad frown. "And then…..he raised his sword and-"

Zelda did not finish her statement. The queen had cut her off by wrapping her arms around her, pulling her into a tight, loving embrace.

It took Zelda a moment to comprehend what had just happened, but once it had registered, she hugged the now crying queen back.

"Oh, Zelda!" the queen cried through her sniffles. She dug her fingers into Zelda's back, wanting to hold her newfound daughter close, never to let her go, never to lose her again.

The king watched this display of affection from upon the stage, in disbelief that his daughter had been found. _After all these years,_ he thought, _after all these years, and now she's here! It's impossible, improbable! But here she is, standing right there…._

The king jumped down from the stage and both Zelda and the queen looked over to him. The queen was smiling, her face pink and puffy from tears. Zelda's face looked the same.

With his mouth hanging ajar, he took a small step forward, but paused. He looked to Zelda, then to his wife, back to Zelda and to his wife again. His queen nodded ever so slightly. She nodded to confirm his doubt. The king promptly rushed over to the two and joined the hug. The group, through tears of joy and sniffles of happiness and rejoice, slowly fell to kneeling positions on the floor, where they carried on embracing each other. It was quite the sight to behold.

Link walked forward, getting a better view of the royal reunion. As he watched the joyous event, Link couldn't help but feel his heart sink to the pit of his stomach. _Why?_ He was happy for them, wasn't he? They were a family again, the family that Zelda had missed out on all of her life. Getting her back to the castle had been his goal, and he did it. He'd wanted it for her.

That was it, though, wasn't it? While he did want to see Zelda happy, to see her with a new life and parents, he hadn't truly wanted it, did he? He'd been denying it somehow, that Zelda was in fact the lost princess of Hylia. He'd been subconsciously denying the fact that she belonged here. That had to be it, didn't it? Link supposed it had.

"Link?" Link jumped as he heard his name called by someone other than Zelda, the queen. They had similar voices; the queen's was only slightly deeper, slightly older. It shouldn't have made him spooked like that. Link looked down to the queen, king, and Zelda.

"M-ma'am?" he asked politely.

"You rescued her, correct?" Link nodded slowly. The queen put out a hand as she smiled softly. Link gave a sad half smile to her and took a step forward as he extended his own hand to reach hers. He let out a little yelp as the queen pulled him downward and into the group hug. Zelda giggled.

"You're home..." the king said softly.

"Home..." Zelda echoed. They sat like that for what seemed like forever, hugging and crying. Zelda was home. Their princess was home. They were home, all together, once again.


	22. Chapter 21

_UggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhI'msosorryyyyyyyyy yyyyyyy_

_like, you don't even KNOW how busy I've been with the end of school, my friends' troubles and woes, and just being exhausted half the time... like its ridiculous. School is ending, we've had major tests; School had this "Earth Day Extravaganza" which I had to work at for like six hours out of the day; and then there's my friends whose lives are just bleh, and a lot of crap went down the other day. So I really apologize that this is late, and that my excuses are really lame, but here it is, in all of it's "extravagance". yeah. right. this chapter's mostly filler but whatev. _

_So, I'd like to say a BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG **BIG** Thank You to TechyZeldaNerd who has been a great help to me for this whole story; from his response to my last chapter's cry for help, I've FINALLY gotten the main plot down and how some huge events will occur. I seriously cannot thank you enough, dude! THANKS!_

_Also, a little shout-out to Espeonage Espeon who has favorited and followed this story! Big thanks! _

_Finally, my last announcement for the day, I've also been working on a short comic about Zelda and Link. It's a little thing that's nothing special, just a quick tale about them before any of these events and, to be quite frank, just a pointless story. I've done one page, working on the second, and hope to begin posting it soon. When the second page is done, I'll begin to post it on my deviantart and let ya'll know in case any of you are interested! It won't be colored, but hey, at least it's something right?_

_Anyway, Read, Review, and Enjoy!_

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The king and queen had soon declared that a celebration in the honor of the Princess -their daughter- was to be held. They sent out messengers to deliver word to citizens of the Capital of Hylia that a great festival was to be held to declare the found Princess. They sent words to bakers, merchants, and other such people within their city to cater as well as they could for the abrupt event. Chefs within the castle were hurriedly told to cater as well.

Word was also sent out noblemen and women within the Capital, asking for their attendance at a sudden ball which the king and queen had set up. Messengers rushed upon horseback to nearby cities and neighboring lands to ask for more foreign officials' appearance at the ball.

In all the chaos of the Hylian capital, the king and queen hastily arranged for fittings for both Zelda and Link, so that both might be appropriately dressed for the occasions which were to follow in the day. Both of the youths had been dragged off by servants and maids of the Hylian court, to where they were to be measured, cleaned up, and primped up nicely.

Link's endeavor with the servants went rather quick, for his measurements were simple, as he was willing to comply though it _was_ awkward. He had been given a bit of a haircut, though only as much as he would allow, and a bath was to be granted to him. He did not take to it, however. He offered to take his own bath, which was easily accepted for the maids were needed elsewhere anyway. So, all went swimmingly for Link. The same could not be said for Zelda however...

It was a miracle the women had even convinced her to get into the bath. She hadn't been willing to undress and step into her bath, or even cooperate with the maids for that matter. She was stubborn, refusing to work with them. Eventually they had convinced her though.

Zelda clutched to the sides of the tub in which she sat. Her eyes were shut tight, a sneer present upon her lips. A small growl passed through her teeth.

"Watch the hair!" she finally yelled out, expressing her dislike towards the women who were trying to comb through her long dark locks.

"Sorry miss, but we're to get every little knot out of it! All the dirt too!" one of the maids said, her voice kind though with the slightest impatience.

"There weren't knots in it before," Zelda muttered under her breath.

"You know," one of the other maids said, not hearing Zelda's last comment, as she scrubbed her legs, "I would absolutely adore somebody else giving me a bath. It would be relaxing and nice not to do it for yourself once." Zelda cast a look up to the woman and frowned.

"Yes, but provided that I am rather new to this whole 'process,' I do not agree with you." Zelda replied.

"Oh, you will get used to it." the maid said with a smile, scrubbing Zelda's feet roughly.

"Right." Zelda said with a roll of her eyes.

Another maid who came bearing a bucket of steaming water spoke up this time, an older, plumper one with gray hair.

"You can ask Queen Eldissa about whether or not it gets better; she would be able to tell you what!" the woman stated. Zelda lifted her head and furrowed her brows.

"Her name's Eldissa?" Zelda asked, forgetting the many women who were working on her. The woman cocked her head to the side and furrowed her own brows.

"You mean to say you didn't _know_ the queen's name?" she asked, extremely surprised. Zelda's face flushed.

"Well I was raised out in Ordon; not much news about royalty or anything political reaches out there..." she stated in an attempt to save herself from embarrassment. The woman still looked taken aback.

"But you should have at least known their names! Do you know the king's? Your father's?!" Zelda slowly shook her head no, embarrassed and red as a tomato.

One of the younger maids pursed her lips and gave an understanding look to Zelda.

"Well it's no wonder," she said as she looked up to the other women, "she was only a baby when she was taken. And like she said, out in Ordon, they hardly receive any news about Hyland! If anything, they're more likely to receive news from neighboring countries before our own!"

The older, plumper maid gave a small laugh and nod of the head. "You've got us there," she said. She turned her head to Zelda. "Come now, Miss Zelda, up and out; need to change the water again."

Zelda scoffed and rolled her eyes. She was passed a thin silk robe by one of the maids and she slipped it on, still in the tub. She hugged it tight to her and she stepped out, frowning.

"One more change of water and you should be fine to go, Princess!"

~...~...~...~...~

The queen was passed on a dress from one of the maids who had been sent out to buy a dress for Zelda. The young maid nervously handed it off to her, her eyes wide and brows furrowed.

"Your Majesty, I know the dress is _not_ typical for such a young woman, nor for royalty, and I REALIZE it _is _a wedding dress, but... it was all I could find that seemed fitting for her!" she defended weakly, clasping her hands together hopefully. "And on such short notice your Highness! I hope you will forgive me, your Majesty... I'm sorry that I could not-"

"It's fine," the queen said, only just taking notice of the young girl's babbling. "The dress is fine. In truth, I like it! I will ask though," Queen Eldissa said, lifting her focus from the dress and to the maid, "might you be able to modify one of my tailed bodices?" she asked politely.

"How, your Highness?" the maid asked, relief present in her voice.

"Just enough so that it will fit Zelda and overlay this dress. I also fear that the sleeves will be too long for Zelda's arms. Find a way to adjust the sleeves, preferably without sewing them, if at all possible. Do you think you could do that?" the queen asked with hopeful eyes.

"Uh, y-yes your Majesty! I will take the dress and rush to Zelda's room and fit her! If you will be so kind as to pick out a bodice then-"

The queen smiled and laughed.

"You try to hard dear, really, you do." The maid blushed and bit her bottom lip. "Just take the dress to Zelda; I'll be there as soon as I can to help."

"Y-yes your Majesty!"

The maid took the dress from the queen and nodded wildly. The young girl ran off with the dress in hand, it trailing behind ever so slightly as she went. The queen smiled and shook her head.

"So much formality, but there's no need..." she muttered. Snapping out of her short trance, the queen rushed off to her own room where she was sure to find a bodice for her daughter.

_Hmm...my daughter..._ she thought with a small smile. _My daughter Zelda._

The queen soon reached her room within the third floor, only three rooms down from Zelda's. She quickly searched through her wardrobe for a small bodice fit for Zelda. It was not that she herself was much bigger than the girl; in fact, she was quite petite. The only difference was that she'd larger hips than Zelda, allowing for more room in her clothing.

Finally she found an old purple bodice which was faded, yet still in good condition. _A muted purple then, eh?_ The queen quickly took it and rushed out of the large closet, but stopped dead in her tracks when something caught her eye.

A slight glimmer of bronze and gold had caught the corner of her eye. When she looked closer, she noticed a wide metal band which she had worn once or twice when she was younger, back when she was still a young queen. She walked towards it and picked up the metal waist wrap which had been lying on an old box within the closet.

She looked it over, a small smile forming on her lips as she remembered fondly the times that she herself had worn it. Back then, she had been newly married to her husband, her love, her king. She was a young and naive queen, one who never would have seen any of the events in the past twenty or so years come. Her smile faded shortly to a small frown.

_Things are better now, Dissa,_ she told herself. _Zelda has come home, the war is over, and life has been a joy. Do not become worked up over it._

Taking in a deep breath, she calmed herself and returned her attention to the task at hand; get Zelda dressed.

She quickly rushed off to her daughter's room, the caped bodice and wide metal band in hand. She shortly arrived in Zelda's room, where she saw a small group of maids struggling with the young princess.

"Ow! You stuck a needle in my arm!" Zelda cried out. The queen gave a small laugh.

"Miss Zelda we are doing all that we can in a short time!" a maid replied. "Forgive us for any mistakes!"

The queen smiled and began to walk forward to the group of women. When she was close enough to signify her presence, she cleared her throat.

"Well, I see that everyone's patience is wearing thin," she said with a small smirk. The maid's eyes went wide, and Zelda just grinned.

"Ah!" she exclaimed happily. "You've come to rescue me from these pins!?" she asked. The queen shook her head and looked down to her hands. Zelda's eyes followed. "Oh, great; more clothes."

"Yes, Zelda, more clothes." The queen handed the bodice and metal band off to a maid who willingly took them. "So how have you been to the maids?" she asked.

"On the edge of annoying and infuriating!" the old, plump maid said before Zelda could speak. She looked up to the queen with a brow raised. "Still don't see how she managed to be yours!"

"Oh, Ilene, you remember me when I was young. Splitting image of her." the queen replied with a roll of the eyes.

"Hmph! At least you were willing to cooperate!"

The queen silently laughed and gave an amused smile. Then, she turned her attention from the maid named Ilene and then to Zelda's dress.

"Are you pinning the sleeves up to sew?" the queen asked as she watched the maids work.

"No, just to see how far we need to adjust them." a younger maid said. "Sara told us about what you wanted, and I sent her off to fetch some ribbon; I suggested that that be what we used to tie up her sleeves."

"So that's her name, is it?" the queen asked with a smile. "I knew that she was new, and I'd never caught her name. She's awfully skittish and far too formal."

"I've noticed that," Zelda said suddenly as she held her arm out for a maid. "Most of the maids and servants who serve you are really informal." she stated. She turned her head slightly so that she could glance out of the corner of her eye over to her mother. "Why is that?"

"Your father and I personally do not care about formalities. He does more than I do, but that's because he was raised by royalty." the queen answered. Shrugging, she added, "The only time we _do _care is when there are uptight politicians around, or other royals which we do not care for."

Zelda smirked.

"What about with two kids who broke into a castle?" she asked. "Are they required to be formal?" Eldissa frowned.

"I suppose they don't _have_ to be," she said, raising a brow, "but they should at least find themselves lucky that they haven't been _punished._"

"What!?" Zelda shouted, turning around to face her mother. The queen just smirked.

"Like I said, just find yourself lucky! Formality is important with anybody for me at six in the morning!"

Zelda let a relieved breath and rolled her eyes.

"Now turn around and let them fix your dress; Sara's back with ribbons!"

They all looked over to where the queen was turning and found the younger maid returning with a few supplies in her hands. When she saw all of their eyes upon her, she stopped in her tracks and widened her eyes.

"D-did I do something wrong?" she asked no one in particular. There was a short pause.

"No," Zelda said. "You've done nothing wrong; except, of course, aiding them all in their 'quest' to dress me."

"Zelda!" the queen said, jerking around to face her daughter.

"What?" she asked with a grin.

"Don't be rude!"

The queen shook her head and returned her attention to the young maid.

"Here, come help with my insufferable daughter. Ignore any comments she may make." the queen stated, lowering her voice with her last sentence.

"Hey!" Zelda shouted. The queen just smirked.

Turning back to Zelda, the queen said, "You'll get over it later."


	23. Chapter 22

_mehhhh, geez, i'm so tired. haven't been getting enough sleep lately and have been busy (again) with stuff having to do with school. shit's cray. i hope that with summer coming in only ten more days or so for me, that I'll be able to update more frequently. and not be worn out and stuff. sorry bout that, really I am :/ _

_Anyway, thanks for continued support, readings, etc. I really appreciate anything that I can get ;P _

_Read, Review, Enjoy!_

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Link walked down to the castle's main floor where servants were rushing about. The king was here too, as well as the Sheikah woman Ilda, and the two were passing around orders to their chaotic workers. He made his way down the steps and was finally within the main hall, but was nearly knocked over when a servant rushed past him. He walked over to the king and Ilda.

"Uh, your highness?" Link said as he neared.

"Oh what is it now!?" the king yelled as he turned around. Link took a step back, but when the king saw him, his irritated demeanor left. "Oh, well, uh, Link!" he exclaimed, embarrassment present in his voice though he _was_ happier than before. Ilda turned around at this announcement.

"You have been dressed then," she stated, looking down at his clothes. He now wore a dark golden tunic which had been purchased for him earlier on, a new white long-sleeved undershirt, and darker pants than before. He did not wear his gauntlets, nor his hat (for obvious reasons), and his boots were the same as before.

"Yes," Link replied with a nod. "Do either of you know where Zelda is?" he asked.

The king shared a look with Ilda who simply shrugged her brows. He turned back to Link.

"No, neither of us has seen her. The last I had heard, she was getting dressed. Her mother should be there too." the king replied. "But it is no use if you were to go and find her now; the Castletown celebration is almost about to occur. And nothing is ready, and everything is wild and unorganized..." the king shook his head. With a small smile, he added, "This has been an...eventful day."

"Yes," Ilda agreed, a bit of fatigue hinted at in her voice. "But, for now, just prepare yourself for the festival. It will be upon us shortly. An announcement will be made soon throughout the castle, once everything is-"

The sound of loud creaking doors cut Ilda off, and the group of three turned to the front doors of the castle. From there, a lanky man in purple clothes rushed over to them.

"Your majesty!" he called as he neared, giving a slight, respectful bow.

"Yes?"

"The city is prepared and the citizens are in waiting for your highnesses arrival." he said.

"Well!" the king boomed, a grin on his face as he looked over to Ilda, "It appears as though everything is ready!" Ilda rolled her eyes. "We are mostly prepared; the servants are only preparing for a hasty ball tonight. The only ones whom we are waiting on are-"

"KING HARKINIAN! KING HARKINIAN!" called a shout from across the main hall. Ilda, the king, Link, and the purple man looked up to the second story floor where a plump maid was waving a hand in the air as she called to them. "The Princess and the Queen are ready and coming!" she shouted.

They all waited a moment more before seeing the queen running, out from the large arch at the top of the stairs as she clutched the skirt of her dress. She paused a moment and looked behind her.

"Hurry up Zelda!" she yelled. Link raised a brow, as did the king and Ilda.

"I CAN'T RUN IN THIS STUPID DRESS!" they heard Zelda yell in reply.

"We're LATE!"

The queen turned back around and began to hastily run down the stairs, one hand against the marble banister, the other clutching her dress. When she was half way down the stairs, Zelda made her grand appearance as a disheveled princess at the top of the stairs. She clumsily ran down the steps as she held onto her dress's skirt, abruptly stopping at one point to fix the tiara upon her head, but quickly went down the stairs once more.

The queen was down first, but waited for Zelda at the foot of the stairs. Zelda soon met her and the two ran over to the group of four. Zelda panted and tried to rest her hands on her knees, but was unable to bend over. Meanwhile, the queen stood perfectly contented next to her, her breath only the slightest bit heavy.

"Well, here we are!" she stated with a smile on her face.

"After hell," Zelda muttered. The king raised a brow to his wife, and she simply grinned back awkwardly.

"Uh, well, in _any matter_, is everything set?" the queen asked, clasping her hands together lightly. The little purple man nodded and bowed.

"Your highness, everything is set and prepared. The citizens are in the town square, a feast is prepared, and everyone is waiting for your presence."

The man looked up from his bent over state to peer up to the king and queen.

"Thank you," the queen said with a small smile. Turning back around to the small group, her smile widened. "And are we ready?" she asked.

Ilda and the king were of course ready and prepared, and Link was fine and ready to go. Zelda seemed to be the only one reluctant, but as she stood up tall and straight, she nodded.

"Well then, good!" she said happily. "Zelda," she said, looking to her daughter, "we will lead out into the public and prepare to introduce you, as I told you." At this point, the queen turned her attention to Link. "Link, you will follow alongside her, but remain with Ilda behind us three when we announce her. You will be with us and a part of the celebration, so do not fret. Are we all good to go?"

Everyone nodded.

The king turned back to the purple man and gave a smile. "Lead the way."

The small purple man led the way out of the castle with the king, queen, and Ilda following behind, and Zelda and Link following them. As they walked, Link nodded his head over to Zelda.

"So how was the 'royal' treatment?" he asked with a mocking smirk. Zelda frowned greatly and looked to him.

"Is it bad if I say I feel violated now that so many have seen me nude?" she whispered to him quietly. Link snickered softly once she'd said it. "Then they dressed me up in this, did my make up, and trimmed two locks of my hair!" she softly exclaimed.

"Hey, I got a haircut too, so don't feel so bad." Zelda raised a brow to him.

"Yeah, but yours is hardly noticeable. I've got two locks of hair that are at least five inches shorter than the rest of my hair."

"Should've told them to stop cutting your hair." he quietly suggested with a shrug.

"Is that how you-"

"Oh, Zelda, I almost forgot!" the queen exclaimed as she turned around, the king turning as well. The two stopped talking and watched the queen as she reached behind her head. When she brought her arms forth, they both saw that she had removed a necklace from around her neck. She held it out for them to see, and the two saw that it was a silver necklace with a silver pendant of the Hylian Crest.

"It's a necklace that your father gave me when we were younger." The queen looked over to her husband and smiled sweetly, him smiling back to her. They then looked back to Zelda.

"It was once my own mother's," the king said with a nostalgic smile. "And I gave it to your mother around the time we'd first met."

"And now we pass it onto you, Zelda." her mother stated proudly. Zelda lowered her head and smiled as the queen motioned to put it around her daughter's neck. She clasped it and carefully pulled Zelda's fixed hair through the chain and let it fall behind her once more.

Zelda looked down and touched the cold metal necklace. She grinned with her red painted lips and looked up to her mother and father. She then suddenly jumped and wrapped her arms around both of her parents' necks, both of them smiling with joy.

Behind them, the man dressed in purple gave a small cough. "Er, your majesties?" he called, causing Zelda to let go of her parents as they all looked forward. The castle doors were opened and guards stood at either door, holding it open as the purple man stood outside in the shinning sun.

"Yes, yes, we're coming." the king called, an irritated grimace upon his goateed face. He looked back down to Zelda and gave a hearty smile. He then looked up to his queen. She nodded, responding to his unspoken words.

"Let us go!" the king exclaimed happily.

And they went.

~...~...~...~...~

They arrived at the closed gate which led out to the Capitol of Hylia. From behind the great wall, Zelda could hear many cheering voices, happy, and joyful, from to center of the city. Her heart beat quickly within her chest, and she could hear her pulse within her pointed ears. The king and queen both turned their heads to her ever so slightly, just peering over to her with smiles on their faces. Looking ahead once more, the gates opened.

The king and queen walked forward and onto the elevated part of the brick laden sidewalk which let out into the city. The people cheered and roared with joy and excitement, overjoyed at their rulers' presence, so much that they seemed to ignore the fact that the Princess stood just behind them. But Zelda didn't mind.

The king and queen bowed. The crowds silenced off eventually and the king and queen looked back out into the crowds.

The king began.

"I welcome you all here today," he said, with his loud, booming voice, "to and event which has been much anticipated for nearly seventeen years." He paused. The crowd stilled, and anxiously waited for him to continue.

"As you know," he again began, "a raid upon the castle during Hylian Civil War occurred towards that unmerciful time's end." The king stopped speaking and bowed his head, his citizens following. Looking up, he said, "Many were lost, and we too have understood your pain and sorrows. However," he boomed, "there is still hope! Others are still returning. One such person has returned this very day, one who had been believed by us, and all of Hylia, to have been gone and lost for good."

The king allowed for another dramatic pause. The people -his people- looked to him with wide inquisitive eyes, wondering just _who _it was that had returned.

"My good people of Hylia, I present to you the lost heir to the throne of Hyland, our daughter, our child; Princess Zelda!"

The crowds roared with cheer and excitement as the king stepped to his side and motioned to Zelda.

Zelda stood staring out to the crowd in awe and disbelief. A smile twitched upon her lips once or twice, but still was she in such a state of awe that she could not move. At least, that is until Link nudged her with his elbow.

Coming to her senses, Zelda walked forward with a bright cheery smile upon her face as the crowd went wild. She stopped near the beginning of the steps down to the city, bowed, and curtsied. When she stood, she looked out to the people, _her _people, the people of Hylia. They clapped, some whistled, they hooted and hollered and cheered. It was truly astounding.

When she fully stood again, she heard footsteps approaching her from behind. She smiled even wider.

"Our Zelda has returned," the queen announced, placing her hands upon Zelda's shoulders, "and she will the Kingdom of Hylia into a new era of peace and prosperity. And you, our people, can trust us with _that._"

The crowd cheered again.

Once they had settled a bit, and once Zelda too came to her own senses, she inhaled a deep breath and prepared for her part.

"Might I say, my good people of Hylia, that my return was not a single effort. When in a time of danger, a young man arose to the task of finding and protecting me; one whom is near and dear to my heart, an old childhood friend. Along with protecting me, he had escorted me to this fair city of Hylia not even three days ago. And so now, I shall present to you, the young, the noble, the brave and courageous, Link!"

Zelda turned to her side and motioned her arm to where Link stood, with the king and queen following her look.

Link stood staring at awe to Zelda, the king, and the queen, and to the cheering crowd. He stood still, feet planted to the ground, unmoving. It was only when Ilda had hit his arm lightly with her elbow that he snapped out of it and stepped forth to Zelda who stood waiting for him.

When Link arrived at Zelda's side, she grinned to him from ear to ear and he too smiled back. He couldn't help but notice that, close up, she looked incredibly beautiful and joyful. Her eyes had a lively spark within them, and her smile emphasized the blush upon her cheeks. The cut on her face didn't even seem to take away from her beauty. And then there was the dress she wore. It fit her perfectly, in every way, and made her look elegant and gorgeous, and pretty and beautiful. The purple bodice with a tail fitting her form, and the golden metal waist band adorning her accentuated her curves.

His gawking abruptly ended when Zelda spun back to the crowds, Link following her motion. Gratefully to the people, he gave a bow, feeling it to be the most appropriate thing to do. When he stood once again, he found Zelda looking at him again. The only difference about her was that this time she had a thin, regal sword within her hands. She smiled to him.

"Kneel now, noble Link," she commanded, smiling all the while. "For your couragous effort and noble deeds to the Kingdom of Hylia, a title shall be granted to you." Link kneeled and peered up to Zelda, seeing her take the sword in hand and rest its blade gently upon his left shoulder.

"Link of Ordon, of the bravest of men, arise as a knight, a royal knight of the Hylian Guard!"

Link looked up to Zelda and flashed her a grin, overjoyed with this new title. After all, he was now a _knight,_ of all things. And why should he have received this? It was for rescuing Zelda and protecting her of course, but still, he thought it to be too kind.

Zelda lifted the sword off of Link's shoulder and set its tip to the ground, resting her hands upon its hilt. As she did so, she saw his smile and returned the favor with a quick wink and a smirk of her own.

Link stood up quickly and the two turned to the cheering crowd. The king stepped up behind them, putting a hand on each of their shoulders, causing them to look up to him. He gave them a smile and then looked out to the crowd.

"LET THE FEASTING BEGIN!"


	24. Chapter 23

_Ugh. Retyping. _

_Anyway, new chapter! Happy I've got this out! It's mostly filler, though it DOES serve a minor purpose for the story, but still, mostly filler :P After this chapter, however, and maybe the next two, possibly three, there will be something of more significance to happen! So, anticipate it! And also just so you know, we've hardly scratched the surface of this story :l Like, we aren't even through the first leg of it yet. So, just so ya'll know. _

_Also, big thanks to meggii for favoriting and adding this story to their alerts list! I really appreciate it :D !_

_I really have nothing more to say but that school is almost out for me (literally six and a half days left!) and so updates may become more frequent than they have been! I say 'may' because I can't really promise anything n_n' _

_Read, Review, and Enjoy!_

* * *

The people of Hyland celebrated and feasted to their hearts content; Zelda, Link, the king and Queen included.

At first, the Royals, Link, and Zelda had been grouped together and had been meeting with various townspeople. Few of them had recognized Link and Zelda from the day before when they had walked around and about the city, doing nothing more than that of what a vacationer would. People congratulated the king and queen for finding their daughter; some offered hugs to Zelda along with various condolences about her being missing for so long, though most just smiled and welcomed her home.

As for Link, for the time that he had remained with them, he had been given thanks for protecting the Princess and even congratulated for being named a Hylian Knight. Many said the title was very well respected within the Capital of Hylia, and all throughout Hyland. He soon branched away, however, finding no real interest for tagging along with them.

When he did leave them, however, he looked through the crowds for the few people which he did know: Mindim and her friends from the bar. Though he didn't know them very _well _(Mindim being the only real one he knew), he figured they'd be welcoming and that they'd get along well enough.

He searched and searched the crowds until he found the black haired woman whom he'd been searching for: Madame Mindim.

"Miss Mindim!" he called over the crowds, catching her attention. She looked up from her place behind a couple of crates as she handled a drink and cup. She smiled.

"Oh! Well would you look at who it is! The new Mr. Hylian Knight!" she said, causing Link to give a laugh. Her friends, Leuell, Tarmig, and a young girl about his age who he recognized from before were around and hanging out near her stand, and they acknowledged his presence and waved.

"So I guess this makes me one of those rude, stuck up, knights then, right?" Link asked. Mindim rolled her eyes.

"Not necessarilly. If you happen to piss me off, honey, then perhaps I'll consider you as much." Link smirked. Changing the subject, Miss Mindim nodded to a bottle of wine. "You want a drink then?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure, why not," he said.

Mindim poured him a drink and handed it over to him, and he took it.

"So Link, I have someone you haven't met yet!" Mindim exclaimed. Mindim motioned her hands over to the girl from the bar. "This is my niece, Ildry!"

Ildry waved hello, and Link took in her appearance. She had black hair, just like Mindim's, big brown eyes, and red lips. She was a petite girl, but Link could tell that she was just about as old as he and Zelda were. She wore a dress with a blue skirt, white blouse, and-

"Isn't that the dress Zelda wore yesterday?" Link asked, furrowing his brows as he looked to Mindim.

"Yeah," she answered with a nod, "the same one. Told you it came out of a pile of laundry from my friends," she stated. Link nodded. "Anyway, this is Ildry, of course you know Leuell, and then there's that moron over there."

"I resent that," Tarmig called, hearing Mindim's statement over a conversation he and Leuell were having.

"Oh, go on with your resenting!" Mindim called with a frown. She shook her head. "So, had fun getting to the castle?" she asked.

"Fun is _something _to call it, I suppose..." Link said with a roll of the eyes.

"Oh, there's more to it than this. Stick around and tell us!"

Link hung around and filled Mindim and her niece in on the day's events, telling he and Zelda's troubles through the sewers and even to the point where they'd been captured. He was almost midway through their first encounter with the king and queen when he was interrupted.

"And then just as we were-"

"Link!?"

Link, Mindim, and Ildry looked up from their conversation and over to see Zelda standing before them. Link smiled to her, and she smiled back.

"Well hello there, Royal Princess of Hyland," he said sardonically. She smirked and gave a nod.

"Hello to you too, Royal Guard of Hyland," she replied, equally sarcastic. Suddenly, she let out a sigh. "Oh, I've been looking for you all over the place, Link!" she exclaimed as she walked towards them. "Why'd you leave? I had to go and meet and greet almost every single citizen here!"

Link smirked.

"Oh, so you're finding that being a princess isn't simple then?" he asked.

"I mean, there's so many people! And in one place! For the love of Hylia, it's overwhelming." she stated. She looked from Link and then to Mindim. "Oh, hello Miss Mindim!" she said happily. "Can I have a drink?"

"I suppose," she said, pouring a drink, "but is it proper of Royalty to be asking?" she asked as she held it up.

"Oh hell, give me that," she said, snatching the cup from Mindim's hand. "This is stressing me out."

"You're the one who was so bent on becoming a princess," Mindim pointed out. Zelda took a sip of her drink and gave a small nod.

"I know," she said, "and I'm happy I've found my home and parents, and I'm very, _very_, grateful for that, but being a princess... well, perhaps I didn't want that." She paused and took another sip of her drink. "So what were you talking about before I interrupted you?"

"Well," said Mindim, "Link was filling me and my niece Ildry in on what you both had gone through to get to the castle. We'd just got to the part where the king and queen were about to have you killed," she said with a playful wink.

"Oh, well then, let him continue!"

So Link continued his tale, Zelda adding her own input every now and again. They had a few more drinks as well and began to chat about more trivial things. As they did, they began to hear more cheerful music playing from behind, and they also saw people grouping and crowding around the center of the town again.

"What are they doing?" Zelda asked after finally letting her curiosity get the better of her.

"Preparing for a dance, most likely," Mindim replied.

"That explains the change in music," Zelda stated.

"Why don't you and Link go and dance? Ought to have a little bit of fun during this 'stressful' time!" Mindim said. Zelda shrugged and looked to Link.

"What about it, Knight?" Zelda asked.

"Whatever you wish, Princess." Link replied with a smile.

"Okay then," she said with a smirk, beginning to walk towards Mindim's little 'bar' set up, "let's have a couple more drinks inste-"

"Oh no you don't!" Mindim shouted, lightly pushing Zelda back and spinning her around, "you're going to dance, both of you. Now go on!"

Zelda turned around and gave a small huff, but was smiling and Link could see. He too was smiling, slightly chuckling as he watched her begin to walk off.

"Okay, I guess we _have _to dance. C'mon Link, let's go."

The two then walked together towards the cheering, laughing, crowds. They pushed through a group of people, those who saw them and recognized them bowing their heads to the two. They were to the front of the crowds and saw that in the center of this large circle of people were several others dancing to the sound of music, courteously played by the laughing musicians. Most who danced were younger people, children up to the age of teenagers.

Zelda smiled as the children laughed and danced, but she formed a half frown when she realized that none of the adults were dancing. She looked over to Link and back to the dancing kids before nodding her head over to him.

"It's only children dancing, you notice that?" she whispered as she flashed her eyes to him. Looking down again, she said, "There's no adults. Why do you suppose that is?"

Link simply gave a shrug as he watched the people dance. He noticed what Zelda had pointed out and did find it rather strange. Back in Ordon, everybody would dance when there was music.

"You're right, this is weird," he agreed, looking around.

"These people don't know how to have fun, Link," Zelda said with a small frown. Suddenly, she smirked. "Let's show 'em how."

A shocked expression graced Link's face features as he looked over to Zelda.

"What?!" he said, but it was too late. Zelda had snatched his hand and led him out to the center floor where they began to dance. Link was still rather surprised by Zelda's action, and so it seemed that other townspeople were as well, but he came to enjoy the dance.

Some people joined in after watching Zelda and Link dance with several of the children and teens dancing in the center. As they danced, Zelda began pulling people from the crowd -mostly adults- to join them. Link and a few of the others dancing followed Zelda's act, and those who they picked were shy and bashful, but they really couldn't refuse them.

Eventually Link and Zelda met again, dancing together for quite some time and then off to another person and another and another. They went through several swaps until meeting again for only a short time, swaping up until a final meeting at which the merry songs ended.

The crowds were cheering and Zelda was laughing and Link found himself laughing too.

"Well that was fun," Zelda stated as those who had been dancing began to clear out. The two followed all of the others and chatted about as they made their way from the dancing center.

"Oh!" Zelda exclaimed in the midst of their conversation, "We haven't checked up on Epona!" Zelda looked to Link with wide concerned eyes, her hands clasped together in front of her. "I have to go see her! Will you come with me Link?"

Link nodded and the two went. They walked to the horse stables on the west side of town and looked for Epona. There were quite a few stalls in the place, far more than they'd remembered, but found Epona in a stall towards the back.

"Epona!" Zelda exclaimed, running to her horse, who whinnied happily in reply. "How've ya been girl?!" she asked as she hugged Epona's head close to her. Epona neighed and nuzzled Zelda. Zelda pulled away and looked over to Link and appeared as though she were about to speak, but something caught her attention behind Link.

Link raised a brow and turned around. There, he saw a young woman with long fiery red hair, dressed in a white blouse and pink skirt, as well as a brown apron and belt, approaching them.

"Who in all 'f Hylia are y-" the girl began, but stopped once she was nearer to them. "Your majesty!" she exclaimed as she bowed, recognizing who Zelda was, "Why I didn't mean to be rude!" she said, standing up.

"How was that rude?" Zelda asked, letting Epona go and turning to this red-headed girl. "Quite honestly, I saw nothing wrong with it; people can be much ruder than that, trust me."

"Heh, I thank you kindly your highness." The girl paused and looked to them both, then smiled. "I'm Malon, part owner of the Lon-Lon Stables, and Lon-Lon brand Milk!" she said with a grin. "And of course you are Princess Zelda and the esteemed Link of Ordon, am I right?"

"Well, yeah," Zelda said with a smile and roll of the eyes.

"And I see you're here for that feisty horse, eh?" Malon said, smirking and walking forward to Epona. She reached into a pack on her belt and pulled out some sugar cubes and held them up for Epona. Epona sniffed at them warily, but eventually took them from Malon.

"Epona, feisty you say?" Zelda asked.

"Yeah. She was quite the wild one yesterday, whinin' and cryin' in her stall." Malon cocked her head to the side and put a little pout on her lips. "Poor dear. Had to take her out for a ride yesterday to calm her nerves, but even then she was still antsy. I came back from the town celebration to see if she was doin' alright, but it seems as though she's satisfied now with her owner back," Malon stated with a smirk.

Zelda smiled and hugged Epona again.

"Heck, I had to _sing _to her one time to calm her spirits. Never in my life had I had to do that."

Zelda cocked her head to the side.

"Sing?" she asked.

"Oh yeah, sing! Boy, I didn't know what else may calm her and so I sang my mother's old song, figuring that it may work on her. Lo and behold it did, thankfully." Malon explained.

"What's the song that calmed her down?"

"Oh, nothin' much. A three note melody that my mother would sing, and it goes like this," Malon informed. She began to sing the simple song. As she sang, Epona pulled away from Zelda and looked to Malon. When Malon finished, Epona joyfully whinnied. "See?"

Zelda nodded, surprised at Epona's response to the song. _I'll have to remember that._

Turning her attention back to Malon, Zelda asked, "So, how much will it cost us to get her out of here?" Malon shook her head.

"Nothin'. Royalty is specially boarded by us, and they pay us every now and again anyhow." Zelda smiled.

"Really? Thanks," she said.

"Here, let me get 'er out for you. Want me to take you two to the stables at the castle?" Malon asked, getting Epona out for Zelda.

"They have stables at the castle?" Zelda asked. Malon nodded. "Huh. Didn't even know. I guess you can take us then."

"Well alrighty then your highness, come right along! You know how to get to the castle though, right?" she asked with a teasing grin. Zelda frowned, and Malon laughed. "Just makin' sure your highness! I would've gladly shown you the way had you not known!" Zelda rolled her eyes.

The trio and Epona walked back into town where the celebration was still going on, though it wasn't quite as busy as before. People who saw Zelda leading her horse waved and bowed or smiled and curtseyed to her, acknowledging her as Princess, while others simply nodded and said hello. They were just to the gates when someone called for Zelda.

"Zelda!"

They all turned and saw the queen and king walking towards them. The queen rushed over to Zelda and hugged her tightly.

"We've been looking for you!" she said with a smile, pulling away from Zelda, who smiled in return too. "Where've you been?"

"Well, I went and found Link and then after we hung out for a bit, and then we went and danced." Zelda informed. The queen smirked.

"I heard that that dance was quite the sight," she said.

"I see you've met Malon too," the king said with a smile, looking over to the red headed girl. Malon smiled cheekily in return.

"Hello your highnesses!" she said kindly. "I was just showin' Link and the Princess to the stables in the castle. You don't mind if I do, do you?"

"It's quite fine, Malon," the king said. "Very kind of you to do so."

"It's nothin'!" Malon said, grinning again.

After Malon spoke, the queen turned to Zelda.

"Zelda, after you get your horse up, you and Link may either return here to the city or you both can remain in the castle. If you wish to come back out here, please keep track of time for I need you both inside by four."

Zelda furrowed her brows.

"Why? Not that I mind, but, well, why?" she asked.

"There is to be a hastily thrown together ball tonight, er, well it really isn't even a _ball_ so much as it is just a dance of nobles. Either way, there will be a dance tonight and you both will be going, and unless I am wrong, you both need instruction in ball room dancing, correct?" she asked. Link and Zelda looked to each other with the same doubtful expression cast upon their faces. They turned back to the queen.

"No," Zelda said flatly as she shook her head. "No, we don't." The queen rolled her eyes at her daughter's tone.

"Well, the two of you will just have to learn then. They're just basic techniques of course, but still something is better than nothing." The queen paused and formed a half smile as she looked between Zelda and Link. Finally, she gave a quiet huff and spoke. "Go on, that's all I need you for!" she said playfully.

Zelda smiled and gave a quiet laugh, Link doing the same.

"See you later, mom!" Zelda said happily as she and Link began to follow Malon to the caslte.

The queen was shocked by the title which Zelda granted her, that of 'mom.' Soon, however, her shock changed to joy as she watched Zelda go with Link and Malon to the castle.

"She called me mom," the queen said, smiling softly as she watched Zelda until she was out of sight. The king looked down to his wife and smiled as he wrapped an arm around her.

"I know, Dissa."

A silence passed as they continued to stand there.

"She's really our Zelda, isn't she?" the queen asked. The king smiled.

"Yes."

The queen leaned onto her husband's shoulder and the two stood, still staring out to where their daughter had disappeared to, happy to finally have her home.


	25. Chapter 24

_Ugh, finally another chapter! This chapter and the next will pretty much be filler, although the story will begin to move with the chapter following that. So, hurrah! _

_Also, summer has begun for me, and so I will have more time to write and update! Also, TechyZeldaNerd, I just wanted to let you know (seeing as I haven't done so recently :P) I appreciate the continued reviews on the story! It's like a nice little confidence boost whenever you review it! Thanks!_

_And in other summer news, my dad, my friend, and I went to Sonic on May 23rd for National End of School Day and bought 30 corndogs because they were only fifty cents. It was a good night. _

_Read, Review, and Enjoy!_

* * *

After they'd put Epona within the stables, and after Link had convinced Zelda that Epona would be fine, the two headed up to Zelda's room where they chatted and waited for Zelda's parents to come and teach them to dance. The king and queen eventually came, and the two taught Zelda and Link how to dance gracefully in a basic fashion. The mini-lesson was rather chaotic, Zelda and Link stepping on each other's feet and losing their pace and becoming confused the whole time. After a while they just gave up and began to mock the dances and the types of people who were to be at such an event, much to the king and queen's disapproval. Eventually, Zelda and Link got into the swing of things once more and finally began to understand the dance.

Later on, the king and queen left, and Zelda and Link were fetched by separate maids and were freshened up for the so called 'ball' which was to be in a relatively short time. Zelda's make-up was redone, her dress refitted and tightened accordingly, while Link got the easy treatment. He simply was sprayed with cologne, had his hair fixed, and was sent on his way.

Zelda and Link met later on once it was dark in the main hall of the castle. Guests had begun arriving, haughty people of nobility and ill-fitting clothes entering through the castle doors. The two walked together and watched from a distance as the guests made their way into the dining hall.

"Look at that one," Zelda said, pointing to a large woman in a frilly pink dress, "she looks as though she's about ready to bust the seam on that one!"

"Zelda!" Link whisper-shouted. "You're being rude!"

"What?! I'm not necessarily picking on the people themselves, but more-so their attire. Hell, I'm picking more on their clothing than anything! I don't understand how these people can tolerate these clothes -including my own dress."

Link formed a half frown and looked about the room. He saw and knew what Zelda was talking about, the ridiculous and uncomfortable way these people dressed. But still, no reason to make fun of them, right?

"Well, at least I'm not- Dear Hylia!" Zelda exclaimed, her eyes widening as she looked to the front door. "Look at him!"

Zelda had pointed to a particularly stuffy looking man who wore a puffy purple and green stripped long-sleeve shirt, a purple hat with a red feather, and green tights. Said man also had a cane which he haughtily walked around with as he seemed to scrutinize the castle.

"Oh Hylia," Link said, suddenly becoming awestruck by the uptight fellow. "Now that one you can make fun of. I mean just look at his- oh, wait, just look at him."

Link and Zelda shared a few more laughs about the man as they stood by the foot of one of the staircases in the main hall, having quite a merry time as they joked. This moment was interrupted by a sudden thud behind them.

The two turned, startled by the sound, to find Ilda, the king and queen's Sheikah servant, now standing up behind them, her gangly arms crossed as usual.

"Hello Princess," she said, nodding her head, "and Link."

"Ilda," Zelda said, giving a slight smile, "I uh, hello."

"I overheard that you two were mocking the attire of the men and women whom are present tonight?" Ilda asked, raising a brow. Zelda cheerily grinned and gave a slight giggle.

"Heh heh, well, eh, you see, mocking is a harsh word and-"

"No need to explain yourself," Ilda said, shaking her head. "I agree with the fact that these people's clothes are beyond ridiculous. Now though, I need both of you to take a break from your mockery and head to the dining room and be seated. You will sit with the king and queen, and their table will be towards the stage of the room, closer to where you stood this morning. You will see them."

Zelda and Link turned to look to the entrance to the dining hall, and saw people cramming in.

"But Ilda won't you-" Zelda stopped mid-sentence as she turned around, only to find no one there. She and Link looked around, wondering where Ilda may have gone, but neither had a clue. Shrugging, both Zelda and Link walked together to the dining room.

When they entered, they found that the entire hall was nearly full, with several people of nobility sitting at each table. Servants scrambled around and seated these people and assured that they were comfortable. They recognized a few of the people, finding that those that they recognized were ones which they had more fun insulting. They even saw the haughty man in the striped shirt from before.

The two finally came to their senses and walked to the back end of the room where they saw the king and queen on stage, preparing to announce to those who were present that their daughter had returned. The queen saw the two and smiled at them from up on stage and motioned to fancy table in front of the stage at which they were to sit. There were four chairs there, two for the Royals and two for Link and Zelda.

"This is where we'll sit," she informed them as she crouched down on her knees, "but Zelda I need you to come up on the stage. We'll present you to them, and you know your cue correct? It is practically the same as before, though it may be slightly modified."

"Do I need to say anything?" Zelda asked. Her mother shook her head.

"No. Nothing much, anyway. Simple as before, bow, curtsey, say a little hello and smile for the crowd, alright?" Zelda smiled and nodded. The queen turned to Link. "I'm sorry, Link, but you'll stay at the table for this one. We'll recognize you, of course, but you will need only to stand once we announce you, alright?"

"Yes ma'am," Link said. The queen smiled to the two.

"Well, good!" she exclaimed. "We're about to begin, so Link take a seat, and Zelda, stand at the stairs of the stage."

"Alright," Zelda said with a nod.

The queen nodded both of them goodbye and went back on stage and spoke with her husband shortly. Meanwhile, Zelda and Link parted, silently saying their goodbyes, and Link took a seat at the table.

As he sat, the king and queen took their places upon the stage and the few servants who had been up there with them exited. The two stood tall and boldly at the front of the stage.

"Hello and welcome, my friends!" the king boomed, opening his arms wide as he smiled. The guests quieted down and everyone seemed to look towards him. "As you know, I have invited you all here today to this hastily pieced together gala for a very important reason, and am glad to see that so many of you found the time to arrive here. I am very gracious for all of your attendance," he said with a bow.

Now the queen stepped forward.

"Friends and noblemen," she called, "as you know, the dear Country of Hylia had been in chaos and thrown into a civil war years ago, brought on by the hands of evil." The queen dramatically paused and clenched her fist to accentuate the point. Continuing, she said, "And in that time, our daughter was lost; the only heir of Hyland had been nowhere to be found, and thus a dilemma came upon us; that of who would take the throne."

At this, Link furrowed his brows. 'Who would take the throne?' What kind of question is that?

"But now," the king continued, smiling warm-heartedly, "now this is not the case!"

"Our daughter," the queen said, "The heiress of Hyland, the child of Hylia, our daughter, has finally been reunited with us!" Turning, the queen raised her arm and motioned over to Zelda who stood at the foot of the stairs to the stage. "Our Princess Zelda has returned!"

As Zelda stepped upon stage, the numerous guests clapped, very few cheering, and applauded the newly proclaimed princess. She smiled and took the center stage, standing between her mother and father, then gave a curtsey and a bow. When she stood, she looked out to the people.

"Hello," she greeted, smiling again, "I cannot tell you how overjoyed and how happy I am to be back at home," she stated. "Though getting here was not an easy task, I did have some help along the way; an old friend of mine, a childhood friend, stood by my side and brought me home. He is Link of Ordon, a new Knight of the Hylian Guard, and now he shall stand!"

Zelda looked down to Link and smirked, motioning for him to arise. Link smiled and stood up, and looking out into the crowds, he gave a little wave and a nod as the people applauded. He soon took his seat after and looked back up to Zelda and her parents. As he watched them continue their speeches, not really paying attention to what they were saying, he noticed just how much the queen and Zelda looked alike. Both had long and dark tresses, Zelda's being only the slightest shade lighter, and the queen being slightly taller and more aged. Not that she appeared old, but still there was a considerable age difference between the two.

"...and so, without further ado, we may begin to celebrate!" the king announced, snapping Link out of his thoughts. The king, queen, and Zelda bowed from their place on stage and applause was once again heard. The applause was still nothing like the cheering and sincere joy as was present in the Castle Town celebration, but either way, Link did not truly care.

Dinner commenced and the Royals joined Link at the table. Food was served and classical music was played. The king, queen, Zelda, and Link all had a merry time sitting and chatting and eating, and they all found it nice to just chat and really get to know each other for once.

Once dinner ended, all of the guests headed out to the main hall where they all met and greeted one another. Many people came to meet the newly crowned Princess and her knight. Most of the people were haughty and uptight, going so far as to sneer at the two once Link and Zelda had answered their questions of where they were from and where they were brought up. Link was able to calmly disregard their looks of disdain, and Zelda was too, though it took her a little more to do so. One man, the man whom the two recognized by the striped shirt and green tights, gave them such scornful looks that Zelda put on an act of sweet and simple courtesy. Link even managed to play along.

"And, these _accommodations_," the man said, referring to Ordon, "were they not rather... unruly?"

"Yes sir," Zelda said, bowing her head solemnly. Looking up with wide eyes and a pouted frown, she said, "It was but a sad life out within that _dirty_, _rotten_ village. I do not see how I had survived all of those years living with those...those... peasants!" she exclaimed. "Oh!" Zelda cried, "I feel faint!"

Zelda fell in a melodramatic manner, her hand raised to her forehead, with Link catching her in his arms. Shaking his head sadly, Link continued the act for her.

"Oh, it was a weary life," Link claimed, looking up to the man, "what with actual work to do. The life which the two of us have given up pales in comparison to this life of luxury, one which we have only beheld for a short time."

The man nodded and passed a look to the king and queen.

"These, eh, children," he hissed through his teeth, "have lived a poor life in a poor part of the country. I do hope that you will do your best to teach them the requirements of Royalty," he said.

The queen forced a smile and nodded. "Oh yes, Sir Dudley." she said. "We will ensure the best for the both of them."

Zelda's eyes immediately shot open. She looked up to Link whose eyes were equally wide for the same reason. Then, she peered over to Sir Dudley, her hand still draped upon her forehead. _By Hylia, that is the absolute most ridiculous name I've ever heard! _She had to hold it in. She was not going to give into laughter. Not yet.

The man nodded to the king and queen.

"I bid goodnight to you then," Sir Dudley said, beginning to leave. Once he was gone, his haughty figure lost in the crowds of several others, Zelda and Link lost it. Zelda laughed in Link's arms as he helped to stand her up, laughing as he did so. The queen shook her head and placed a hand over her face to show her disapproval of the situation. Meanwhile, the king bit his lip and smirked at the two children.

"H-hi-his name is Sir Dudley?!" Zelda managed to sputter out in her fit of laughter. "Wh-what kind of name is that?!"

"Never, never mind that," Link exclaimed, wiping a stray tear from his eye, "his outfit and demeanor all play into his snobbish attitude!"

"Oh, look at me, I'm Sir Dudley of the Huffy-Huffingtons!" Zelda said as she walked around with a swagger, mimicking Sir Dudley's. Link laughed even more, and Zelda broke into laughter again as well. The queen was about to say something when she heard another person's laugher; that of her husband.

"Daphnes!" she exclaimed, looking to him with a shocked and angered expression. He simply grinned and laughed even more.

"What?" he asked as he smiled. "Zelda's impersonation of him is spot on!"

To this, Zelda looked up, smiled, and bowed.

"Why thank you father!" she said. The queen just shook her head.

"You of all people should know that it is disrespectful to mock someone of high standing class," the queen said.

"Oh, no one likes that man anyway." her husband replied. The queen rolled her eyes.

"Well, whatever. Zelda, Link, we're done with the introductions for the night; why don't you two go and dance?" she suggested, so as to get them all off of the subject of Sir Dudley.

"But mother," Zelda said in a sweet, pleading tone, "I am enjoying these introductions; the first bit of Royalty that I have thoroughly enjoyed!" Zelda paused and nodded her head to the side, a smirk present on her face. "If you wish for me, your precious little daughter to be happy, you'll let her do as she pleases right? Right mother?" Zelda batted her lashes.

The queen frowned.

"No."

Zelda then gave up the act and huffed. "Fine. You win. Come on Link, let's go dance to appease my mother." Zelda grabbed Link's wrist and the two walked off into the crowds and to the classical music which played.

"Zelda's more trouble than she's worth," the queen said sarcastically once the two were gone.

"Oh, she was only having a bit of fun, Dissa!" the king said with a wave of the hand. "Nothing to fret over. And I know that for a fact you hate that man, and for all the same-"

"Oh, shut up Daphnes." the queen said, crossing her arms and pouting. Under her breath she added, "It's not my fault that man's an intolerable prick..."

The king heartily laughed, hearing her comment, and wrapped an arm around her. The queen smiled slightly at his embrace.

Then, the queen smirked and softly said, "You're one too, but I made the choice to keep you. Be thankful for that."


	26. Chapter 25

_Woah, what is this?! Another chapter!? And in the SAME WEEK!? Guy's, it's the end of the world as we know it. _

_ANYWAY, I went on a writing spree last night at 3 in the morning, and so I am now about three chapters ahead! And so that is really good! I thought I'd treat my lovely followers to a well deserved chapter, especially since we should be a lot farther along than we are now. -_-_

_Also, speaking of lovely followers, it seems as though I've gained three followers for this story: Flugg, blueberryblitz19, and shadowmwape! It's also on the favorites for blueberryblitz19 and shadowmwape! Also, shadowmwape added me to their author alerts and favorites list! And was all achieved in one chapter, and that makes me feel real special ;) Lol, thanks for the support! _

_Alrighty then, who's ready to read? I'm pretty sure you guys are, so I'm done with my babbling!_

_Remember to Read, Review, and Enjoy!_

* * *

Zelda stood out in the small garden, wandering from bush to bush as she listened to the distant ballroom music play from the party. A smile which she hadn't been able to stop continuously crept back onto her face as she reached out to a rose. She couldn't believe all that had happened in a day. She'd found her parents, become a princess, and had gone to two separate parties which had celebrated her return. There was also the fact that she'd actually _broken into _the castle and nearly become a prisoner in the Capital of Hylia, but that was beside the point.

"Ah! There you are!" a voice called out. Zelda pulled away from the rose which she'd begun to examine and turned around to see her visitor. It was no one other than Link.

Zelda smirked.

"Hey Mr. Knight," she said, referring to his new status as a Hylian knight. Link smiled at her. "So how's the dance been?" she asked, genuinely curious about his time at the hastily thrown together ball. After all, they'd wound up splitting up after their dances earlier in the night.

Link shrugged and leaned against the arch to the castle, crossing his arms as he did so.

"Meh, it's alright I guess. The people are stuffy, the music's okay, but the food is terrible." Link answered with over exaggerated expressions and tones. Zelda giggled and Link smirked. "Oh but what about you, Princess? You must have something to say about the ball!" Zelda shook her head and took in a deep breath. She let out a sigh.

"I hate it. Too many stuck up people in one place, you know? And don't get me started on the people themselves. They are terribly rude, especially the younger men. The women are haughty as well." Zelda replied.

"And the food?" Link asked with another smirk.

Zelda rolled her eyes. "I take it that's all you care about?"

Link pursed his lips and shrugged. Zelda grinned as a laugh escaped her lips.

"What can I say? It's the only thing that I care about here." Zelda shook her head at Link.

"If only I could punch you right now; this damned dress has me stuck." Zelda stated. Link flashed a glance down to Zelda's dress and back up to her.

"At least you look nice in it." he suggested with a shrug. Zelda rolled her eyes.

"Right."

A moment of silence passed between the two, the only sounds in their ears being that of the music and the guests who were enjoying themselves within the castle. A slight breeze blew, and light from the moon seemed to settle upon everything in a careful fashion, casting shadows in a beautiful way. A moment of sheer silence came and went as the guests settled for a second, and the music ceased to sound. All was picked up once again with a change of song.

"Princess Zelda?" Link called, his tone of voice exaggerated once again. Zelda looked up and raised a brow.

"What?"

Link bowed down and swung his arms gracefully to motion to himself. Looking up, he asked: "Would you be so kindly as to share this dance with me, a mere peasant and civilian of your grand nation of Hyland?"

Zelda bit down on her lip as she tried to contain her laughter. The way he had gone about presenting himself and his question was the splitting image of others who had asked her to dance earlier in the night.

Zelda decided to play along. With a deep bow and curtsy, Zelda looked up to Link.

"Oh it would be my _honor_ to dance with a novice knight of the Hylian guard. If only you will excuse me for being quite the novice at _dancing_, then perhaps we shall dance quite contentedly."

"Oh I am no better myself!" Link claimed. "So I suppose it is fair on either end then?"

Nodding her head, she said, "I suppose."

Both stood up from their forms of salutation. Standing straight and tall, each of them walked towards the other in a stately, regal manner- the way which they'd been taught. When they came close enough to each other, they extended their arms. Link placed a hand just under Zelda's shoulder blade, and she put her hand on his arm. The two then held each other's other hand, extended far out.

They began to dance, amused by each other's clumsy steps. Soon enough, however, they became better and were able to dance properly. Step by step, they danced; they glided throughout the garden with grace. Their little waltz went along perfectly with the music which played from the castle hall as well. The sounds of the other guests did to, helping them to form a rhythm. But soon, none of that seemed to matter anymore. As they drifted closer and closer together, disregarding their regal stances, the music, the people, the setting, none of it mattered. _Nothing_ mattered. All that seemed to exist were them.

They'd danced through about two or three songs when Zelda let out a small, calm breath as she leaned against Link's chest. Link snapped out of his trance and looked down to Zelda. He took notice of how he now held her, his arms wrapped around her tightly, keeping her close to him. She appeared to be scrunched up on him, her hands resting on his chest and her head curled up under his chin. It didn't appear to bother her though; she seemed content and as though she didn't mind.

Link allowed himself to relax again as he tried to slip back into the trance which they both had entered some time ago. He closed his eyes and rested his chin gently back down onto Zelda's head, finally beginning to once more feel comfortable with their new dancing position. Just as he was slipping back into the trance, Zelda spoke.

"Link?" she called quietly.

"Hmm?"

"You think we'll be safe from Ganondorf, right?"

Link drew in a short breath and opened his eyes. Would they be safe from Ganondorf? His plan had failed obviously, but was there anything else they should worry about? The king and queen were making special orders to heighten the guard around the castle and the Capital of Hylia, and so that would be enough, wouldn't it?

"What makes you wonder that?" he asked.

"...I don't know, honestly. I just... I feel uneasy? Uncertain? Maybe I'm just on edge..." she replied.

"I think we'll be safe, Zel." Link said. "The king and queen -your mom and dad- they're taking care of security and whatever else they can do to protect you. And I'll be here, so don't worry."

There was a short pause.

"You promise, right?" Zelda asked.

Link nodded.

"I promise."

Through another song they lasted dancing until the song had ended. When it had finished, they both sat down on an intricatly carved stone bench against a castle wall to rest, for they were both tired. Zelda rested her head on Link's shoulder and Link fought to stay awake. He didn't keep track of how many songs had passed before no others played and no voices came from the main hall. When he decided that they should go, he sat up straight and looked down to Zelda.

"Zel?" he called quietly. "Zelda, wake up!"

"Hmmmmmmph..." was all that she replied. Link's lips curled into a weak smile.

Carefully, Link stood up so as not to disturb Zelda too much. When he stood fully, he reached down and gently picked Zelda up bridal style. Her head lolled towards his chest, and he moved his arm so that she would be comfortable laying like that.

Link exited the garden and reentered the castle, hearing but a few voices echo throughout the chambers. When he reached the main hall, he saw servants and maids cleaning up after guests whom had left. From a distance, he also saw the king and queen chatting playfully with a couple which remained. He headed over to them.

"...oh everything was great, as always. The food was especially top notch, but the music selection could have varied a bit more." A man said jokingly to the two royals.

"Oh, you're never satisfied!" the queen said, playfully swatting at him. They all laughed.

Link was about ten feet away from the group when he had been noticed. The king and queen were the first to see him, and then the two guests followed their sights.

"Link! And -oh! Zelda, is she alright?" the queen asked as she walked towards Link, her husband following.

"She's fine. She fell asleep while we were sitting out in the garden." Link explained.

"Oh," the queen said, relieved. "Would you be a dear and hold her for a moment longer? We have to bid farewell to our friends." Link nodded.

"We're sorry to cut things so short," the king stated with a hearty tone, "but we shall see each other soon enough."

"Oh it's quite alright Daphnes," the woman said with a smile. "You've got your hands full with a baby girl! Or at least, he does!" the woman laughed gleefully. She turned to Link and cocked her head to the side. "Pray tell, young man, what is your name? I didn't quite catch it earlier on in the night."

"Link," he stated as he carefully adjusted Zelda in his arms. The woman raised a brow, but smirked. She turned to the king and queen again and began wagging a finger at them.

"Destiny abound in those two! They'll become somethin' alright. Something great. A good thing they came through to you!" The queen and king nodded.

"Well, we'll leave you to take care of your Sleeping Beauty then!" the man claimed, nodding to both the king and queen. "Until next time!"

"Yes, until next time," the king said, grinning as he did so.

A few servants came and led the couple away from the king and queen and to the door. When they left, the queen let out a sigh.

"I love those two dearly, but they always talk up a storm!" she stated.

"Well, they're certainly better company than our other guests." the king replied with a roll of the eyes. The queen smiled.

The two then turned their attention to Link, who was currently shifting Zelda in his arms.

"So, you are cradling a babe then?" the queen asked with a smirk. She nodded her head, motioning for Link to come closer. "Here, give Zelda to her father. He can carry her."

Link passed Zelda off to the king who took her easily within his arms.

"Suppose it makes up for all the time we had missed with her?" he asked both Link and his wife. A sad smile formed on his lips as he looked down to her. "I still can't believe it's been seventeen years since we last saw her..." he said sadly.

"I know," the queen agreed, looking down to her daughter. "Seems like she's been here this whole time, like we've never missed her!" The queen let out a sigh. They looked down to their sleeping daughter a moment more, but only until the queen remembered that Link was standing there.

"Oh, sorry," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We don't mean to give the air a sad atmosphere." she claimed. Link nodded, fully understanding.

"Well then, how's about we all go upstairs then?" the king suggested, nodding over to the stairs. "We're all tired, and may soon end up like Zelda."

The queen and Link nodded in agreement. They all headed up the stairs and to the second story. As they walked, though, a thought entered Link's mind.

"Where'd Ilda go?" he asked, remembering that he hadn't seen her since earlier in the night.

The queen smirked and shifted her look upward. "Oh, she's around somewhere..." Link looked up and raised a brow, seeing nothing but some banisters which lined the ceiling. He shook his head slightly and looked forward again. Once they were up to the second story, they made for the second set of stairs which brought them to the third floor.

In the third floor, they headed down the main hall and to Zelda's new room. When they reached it, they headed to her bed where the king set Zelda down upon her bed, and the queen removed her crown and tucked her in. A small smile formed on Zelda's lips after, only noticed by Link.

"…Link?" the queen called out, turning from Zelda.

"Yes?" he asked. She smiled and cocked her head to the side.

"Thank you for everything you have done. For rescuing her, taking her to us... for being her friend. Thank you." Link gave a modest half smile.

"Your actions have certainly proved what a worthy man you are," the king added with a nod. "You certainly live up to the garb which you arrived in," he said. He then bowed his head down respectfully. "I respect that, Link."

"Let us show you to your room, Link." The queen said. "You look extremely tired. Come."

The king and queen brought Link to his room, which was on the same floor as theirs and Zelda's. It was smaller and a bit less magnificent than Zelda's, but it was still impressive. As he stepped into the room, he glanced around, but before he headed to his bed, he turned back to the king and queen.

"Your highnesses?" he addressed. "Thank you for allowing me to stay here."

"Do not thank us, Link." the king said dismissively. "It is no trouble at all." Link smiled.

"Also, your belongings are in here as well; your sword, your clothes, and a new shield for a new knight," the queen informed with a smirk. Link smiled back.

"Thank you," Link replied.

"Link?" the king addressed to get Link's attention. Link turned to him. "I have one question before you go to bed," he said. Link nodded. "Why _is _it that you wore the garb of the ancient hero? Was it a personal choice or-?" Link looked down and let out a breath.

"No, I didn't wear those clothes on purpose." Link answered.

"Then why?"

Link looked back up to the king. He flashed his eyes between him and the queen, frowning slightly as he did so.

"…would you believe it if I said I've been to the Sacred Realm?"


	27. Chapter 26

_Hey people! New chapter! I really don't have much to say today, except I do want to tell you that updates will begin to follow a regular schedule, and that I'll be posting them on the weekends, either Saturday or Sunday. Also, happy June 1st everyone! Not that that's a really special date, but hey, it's still something :P_

_I don't have anything else to say for once. Huh._

_Read, Review, and Enjoy!_

* * *

Link told the king and queen of his little trip to the Sacred Realm; how he'd gotten there through a dream, that he'd met a blue fairy-like lady, and how she'd told him where to find Zelda and a bit of their destinies. He also informed them in greater detail of the time he'd confronted Ganondorf, and revealed what Ganondorf's plan had been. As he'd told them this, the king and queen passed uncertain looks to each other, with a hint of fear within their eyes.

"Your majesties," he said, looking to them both, "it may be far-fetched, but I can assure you that it's true."

The queen formed a half frown and looked Link in the eyes.

"Link, that's not what we're worried about," she said, "It's...it's the whole matter of Ganondorf, the Triforce, and, well, both you and Zelda's safety." she stated. Then the king looked to Link with a long face, sadness in his every feature.

"If Ganondorf is to retrieve the Triforce," the king said, "then...the very world as we know it could end. You know the stories and folklore which is passed about the ancient Hero of Hylia and of the Hero of the Sky, correct?" Link nodded. "The golden power which is mentioned within those stories is in fact the Triforce. The Triforce is a magical relic left by Hylia in the ancient past that allows the person who beholds it to grant a wish. And Ganondorf...that man has an evil heart," he said, narrowing his eyes and frowning in disgust. "Though I do not know what his _exact _wish would be should he ever receive the Goddess's relic, I know it would be for the worst."

The king paused and frowned, and then looked down to Link.

"Link my boy, if you should hear of any other messages from the Goddess, or if you should have a dream of the Sacred Realm again, tell us. Tell us as soon as you can." the king said. Link gave an affirmative nod.

A silence passed between the three as they stood in the doorway of the room. Finally, the queen broke the silence.

"It is late," she said, her voice solemn. "I believe it would be best if we all got some sleep." She turned to Link and gave a small smile, though her eyes showed worry and concern. "You especially." Link returned the small smile. The queen gave him a quick hug and pulled away.

"Let us go, Dissa," the king said. She nodded to him.

"Goodnight, Link." the queen said as they began to exit the room.

"Yes," the king said, "goodnight, Link."

Then they left.

Link stood alone at the doorway once they were gone and looked down to the floor. They knew. They knew more than Link did just how bad of a situation this was. Ganondorf was coming back, and he was planning to take the Triforce again. The king and queen had lived through it once before- they knew the terrors which were brought on to the land of Hylia. They knew the trouble which would be caused.

Link quietly sighed. He closed his eyes and frowned. _No one deserves to go through that again; not the Royals, not the people of Hyland- nobody. _

Link opened his eyes and turned around. He walked toward his bed, the only sound in the quiet room being the shuffling of his boots as they moved across the floor. Once he was to the bed, he saw that his clothes had been neatly stacked upon a nightstand next to the bed, just as the queen had said, along with his sword and new shield standing against it. He formed a faint smile at the shield.

Link picked up the shield and examined it. It was a heavy metal shield, and it was made durably and built to last. The front was blue with a crimson bird upon it (the Sky Hero's ancient loftbird, he supposed), and the Triforce above it. Four metal pieces for decoration were upon the piece as well, drawing attention to the Triforce and bird.

Link put the shield down back to its place upon the floor and then sat down on the edge of the bed. He began to take off his clothes, beginning with his golden tunic. He took off his layer of chainmail, white long-sleeved shirt, and then removed his boots. He fell back onto the bed and landed at an odd angle on the pillows. He didn't quite frankly care, however, being as tired as he was.

_Maybe everything will get better soon, _he thought as he drowsily looked up to the ceiling. _Maybe Ganondorf will give up. Maybe we won't have to worry anymore. Maybe..._

Eventually, Link closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. He remained peacefully asleep, at least until he awoke within his dream...

~...~...~...~...~

_He found himself within a large, open, marble room with a rotunda above his head. In front of him was a set of three triangles, floating together and shining brightly. Around the room were podiums; eight of them to be exact. And there he stood, his eyes widening, knowing now where he was._

_He wanted to scream. He wanted to yell. _No. Not the Sacred Realm. Not now. I don't want any 'news'.

_"Link," a soft, melodious voice called from behind. Link spun around and looked to find the blue woman from the first time he'd come here floating just above the ground before him. He stared at her for a long time, and she stared back. Finally, she spoke again. _

_"Link, I am sorry to have brought you back here," she said, forming a small frown upon her lips. "By the Goddesses' orders, I was to bring you back here."_

_"And tell me what?" Link asked, irritation present in his voice. _

_"That Ganondorf is not done." _

_Time seemed to freeze for that one moment. Not too long before, or at least that he could tell, he'd just been hoping that things would get better and that perhaps Ganondorf would no longer be a nuisance. But no. His thoughts were childish, his thoughts were stupid, and his thoughts were futile. He should have known better._

_"And they, the Goddesses, expect me to take care of him, right?" Link asked, already knowing what their request was to be. The blue woman made a face of slight disappointment at Link._

_"Such is their request, yes," she said calmly. She then took in a short breath and continued. "Their majesties do, however, honor your noble battle with Ganondorf. Such a battle they believed you should have conquered, but now know the reason of your defeat."_

_Link narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brows. "And why is that?" he asked._

_"It was because you did not hold the power which was to vanquish the pure evil manifested within Ganondorf. You did not wield the Blade of Evil's Bane," she answered._

_Link's eyes widened. _The Blade of Evil's Bane?! Wasn't that the Hero's Sword?

_"You mean the one the legends speak about?" he asked, stunned. She nodded once._

_"The Blade of Evil's Bane, or as you may know it, the Master Sword, is a weapon which can help to conquer any form of evil which presents itself to it. With a master who has courage in his heart, determination in his mind, and a balance of power and wisdom within his soul, is one who can wield the sword and banish evil of any kind. And the Goddesses believe you are capable of such a task."_

_Link blinked a few times. He was to be the one to wield the Master Sword? He was the one to hold the very blade of legends? And he was specifically chosen by the Gods? Link shook his head slightly, ridding his mind of wishful, childish thoughts. _

_"Wait," he said, looking to the blue woman with a serious expression upon his face once more, "they want me to wield the sword?" he asked. The woman nodded. "And they expect me to go and seek out Ganondorf, right?" She nodded again. "And they want me to kill him, correct?" _

_"Yes, Link, but all is for a good cause," she explained, hoping that she would get him to understand the gravity of this situation. "If Ganondorf is killed, he will not be able to terrorize the citizens of Hyland anymore, he would not be able to harm the Royals, he would not harm you, and he could not harm Zelda."_

_Link's eyes widened slightly at that. _

_The blue woman paused and gulped. _

_She came closer to Link and took one of his hands in hers, then looked up to his eyes. _

_"If Ganondorf is killed, his evil would be vanquished. The Triforce would no longer be sought after, at least for a great time, and the Nation of Hylia could live in peace and prosperity." The woman paused and pursed her lips for a moment and looked up to Link. "I promise to you, nothing but good shall come of this, Link. I promise."_

_Link let out a small huff and looked away from the woman. She pulled her hands away from his and held them close to her chest as she watched him make his decision. _

_"...when does this need to be done?" he asked quietly. The blue woman's eyes widened and a small smile formed on her lips._

_"The Goddesses wish for Ganondorf to be executed soon, for they fear that if he is to remain for too long, then tragedy may strike the world. But, first you must seek out the Master Sword before this." _

_Link looked up to the woman, his brows gently furrowed and his expression sullen. "They aren't going to give it to me?" he asked. The blue woman shook her head. _

_"No, I am afraid that cannot be done. The sword is within the mortal world, a place they cannot easily touch, and therefore it must be your duty to find it."_

_"Can you tell me where it is at least?" Link asked._

_"It is in Faron Woods within the ancient Temple of Hylia. You must go and retrieve the sword and then seek out Ganondorf."_

_Link looked to the woman for a short period of time, wondering if she understood his view on this. He was being told he was a so called 'chosen one,' when in fact he was nothing more than a child really, and one who had lived a simple life. He'd done before what he had to do out of self-protection and to protect his friend, but now he was being told to just go out and kill someone. Yeah, Ganondorf doesn't truly deserve to live, but still, he's another living person. So did she understand this? Probably not. But that's the way she was supposed to be, subservient to the Gods and always aiming to please them. At least that's what Link figured._

_"Link?" she asked, after he'd been quiet for a while. "Do you understand the great need for you to go and fill this request?" she asked. "Your expression makes you appear as though you are unsure."_

_"I understand," Link said quietly. "I'll do whatever I can to protect the Triforce." Link paused and swallowed the lump in his throat that had slowly developed through his visit to the Sacred Realm. "I promise."_

_The woman's lips twitched into a smile._

_"Thank you, Link. I hope that you can understand what a great thing you have done, and will do. It is quite an incredible task." she said. Link nodded._

_A short silence passed until the blue woman spoke again._

_"I will now send you back to the mortal world, if that is of course your wish," she said, to which Link nodded. _

_The blue woman then turned and as she had done before, raised her hands in the air and twitched her fingers, forming a shining blue portal on which Link was to step which would take him back to the real world. Link watched with a doleful expression as she floated around the portal to face him once again. _

_"Remember: the Master Sword lies within the ancient Temple of Hylia in Faron Woods. The site is near the village of Skyview." Link nodded._

_He took a step closer to the portal and looked down to it, the same sad expression present on his face. The blue woman noticed and furrowed her brows, a frown forming on her own lips. _

_"Link?" she called, causing him to look up from the portal. "I know how unkind fate and destiny may be... it truly is unfair. But, I know, I just know that what you are doing is for the greater good. It is...it's for the best. And I wish you luck on your venture, Link. I truly do."_

_Link's eyes widened slightly at the woman's kind words, realizing that he may have been wrong for assuming her to be a static servant. Perhaps she was just doing her job, the one which the Goddesses had granted her; one which she may not have liked._

_"I...thank you," he told her in response, offering a small smile as well. "I'll do whatever I can to protect the Triforce. I'll do my best."_

_Link stepped into the portal and saw the woman once again, appearing sadder than before, and just before he slipped away from the Sacred Realm, he heard her say, "I know Link... I know..."_


	28. Chapter 27

_Sorry 'bout this being a day late, but the website was giving me problems yesterday and I couldn't get to publishing a new chapter ~ Sorry!_

_Also, I don't know if any of your remember, but I said a while ago that I was working on a cover for this story. Well, I actually gave up on it, but, eh, I started a new one and it's like half way done! At least the good sketch part :P I think it'll be at least presentable, not colored in though, by the next update. I'll also post it on my DeviantArt so you can see it in it's full size since the pictures are pretty tiny on this website. I've also begun a map of Hyrule, or as it is referred to in my story, Hyland. It's about 1/3 of the way mapped out, but it'll be in color too, so yeah. _

_Another thing, rather unrelated but, does anyone know who Laura Marling is, because oh my god, if you don't go and look up some of her songs on Youtube right now. Seriously. She's amazing. _

_Alright, I'm done._

_Read, Review, and Enjoy!_

* * *

Link awoke from his second trip to the Sacred Realm. His eyes opened right up, finding the darkness of night to greet him. He stared up at the ceiling for a few minutes, expecting a sort of drowsiness to come to him, but no such thing came. He soon found that he was not tired at all, but instead he felt surprisingly refreshed and awake. He huffed.

Sitting up, he rested his head in his hands, his elbows on his knees, and looked over to his sword and shield. _I guess once I get the Master Sword, I'll be like the real heroes, eh?_ He smirked slightly at that thought, but the smile soon faded and he sighed.

He reached over to the table and picked up his white long-sleeved shirt and slipped it on, and following that he put on his chainmail, then his green tunic. He put on his gauntlets, and as he did so again noticed the little Triforce imprinted on the back of his left one. He frowned a little at the symbol, knowing that _it _was the thing which he was to protect. He then proceeded to put his belt and boots on.

Once he was done with that, he stood up. He picked up his sword and pulled it's bandolier over him, letting it rest comfortably on his left shoulder. The shield followed and he slipped it onto his back, adjusting the new weight. When his shield was settled, he was certain he was prepared to go, at least until he saw the nightstand again. Upon it was a conical shaped green hat. He narrowed his eyes at it, allowing himself to have a moment of loathing towards the piece of the Hero's garb which he'd once idolized, but then picked up the odd headwear and put it on.

Link looked over himself once to make sure everything was in place, found that all was, then closed his eyes and frowned. Link began to run over his 'agenda' in his mind.

First, he was to find the Master Sword. That was in Faron Woods near Skyview. Then, after he'd done that, he was to go and seek out Ganondorf. Then he was to kill him. Then the Triforce would be safe. Then, the world would be safe. Then, life would be peaceful.

Link opened his eyes. He looked around the room, using this to distract him for a short time and to prolong his leaving. He didn't want to leave. He knew he really didn't have to leave, the blue lady herself had said so. Link, though, felt as though he should. He felt as though he should get this over with, that he should 'fulfill his destiny' as soon as possible. And besides, leaving at night would make it that much easier.

Link took in a deep breath. He held it for a moment, but finally exhaled. He was ready to go.

Link exited his room cautiously, peering out into the hallway to see if there were any guards about. As far as he could tell, there were none. He left his room and walked down the hallway. As he walked, he passed Zelda's room. He'd walked a few steps past it before he stopped in place and paused. He debated within his mind whether or not he should go and see her, just once, before he left.

He decided yes.

He took a few steps into her room and saw her asleep in her bed across the room. He sadly frowned and stopped again, unsure if he should really be doing this, provided it might be considered treason or some other thing punishable by death. But, he figured that it really didn't matter to him, and so he continued in the room. He'd feel guilty if he weren't to say goodbye some kind of way anyhow, and this is how he chose to do it.

Link walked into the room as quietly as he could, nearing her bed as he did so. He stopped once again as he neared the end of the bed, but only because he was cautious of waking her. As he stood there, he looked down to Zelda, his sleeping friend, one who got onto _him_ for sleeping. He supposed she didn't have that privilege anymore.

Once, she stirred in her sleep, and Link felt his heart skip a beat. But Zelda had only adjusted herself in her sleep and had fixed herself so that Link could see her face. The ribbons in her hair from before were out, and her hair fell as it normally did when she slept.

_So she's been awake..._

Link looked to the floor next to Zelda's bed and saw that her clothes from today were there, and wondered if she'd completely undressed. He felt his cheeks grow warm and he peered over to her. One of her arms were outside of the covers and showed a long, draping sleeve like on her dress from earlier in the day. So she was clothed, and at least was wearing a nightgown.

_Good, _Link thought, letting a little relieved sigh pass his lips, _good._

He walked over to the right side of the bed (the side Zelda was sleeping on) and quietly sat down on the floor. His legs were crossed, his hands were in his lap, and he rested his chin on the edge of the bed and watched Zelda sleep. She slept quietly and peacefully, something which Link knew was not typical of her. She would normally snore at a moderate level most of the time, but Link figured that she wasn't snoring because she was content and calm.

Zelda stirred once more in her sleep, causing Link to freeze in place, but all she did was turn slightly, her right hand moving closer to the edge of the bed. When she lay still again, Link looked to her face to see if she was still asleep, much to his relief that she was, and he smiled. He lifted his left hand onto the bed and gently held Zelda's.

His smile faded as he held her hand, realizing that he might not see her for some time. He didn't know just _how_ long, but he knew it would be for quite some time.

Link didn't know how long he'd sat there, just thinking and holding Zelda's hand, but he came to his senses as soon as he heard his name.

"...Link?"

Link's heart skipped a beat and his blood seemed ran cold.

Slowly, Link looked up to Zelda who was propping herself up in her bed, his mouth ajar as she was coming to her senses and waking up.

Zelda furrowed her brows in confusion and brushed some hair out of her face as she looked at Link. She studied his attire; she saw that he wore the Hero's clothes and was equipped with his sword and shield. Zelda looked out the large window to her left and saw that the moon shone bright in the sky, then turned back to Link, looking him right in the eyes.

"Link," she said, "why are you dressed?"

There was a pause. Link stared blankly at her while she stared at him with a baffled look.

She didn't receive an answer.

"Link," she said, her tone more aggressive, "why are you dressed? It's the middle of the night, and you should be sleeping right now! Tell me, why are you dressed?"

Link frowned and looked away from Zelda and down to the floor.

"Zel," he said, "I _do_ have a reason..."

"Then tell me."

Link looked back up to Zelda, expecting to see her angry and in a rage. Instead, he found her expression confused and hurt. Her lips were quivering, and she appeared as if she'd actually _cry_ if he said the wrong thing.

Link's expression softened and he sighed.

"You have to listen Zelda; it's kind of complica-"

"Just say it," she commanded. Link gulped.

"I...I had a dream," he said, "a dream which took me to the Sacred Realm."

Zelda caught her breath and Link looked up to her directly once again.

"...the Sacred Realm?" she asked. "I-I thought only the Gods and the deceased went there?"

Link shook his head.

"The Sacred Realm isn't anything like that; it's...it's its own place, really. But, I've been there two times. Once to find out where you were when you were in Skyview, and the second time tonight. Each time I went there, I met this blue fairy woman. She was a servant of the Goddesses and-"

"Goddesses?" Zelda asked.

Link realized then that he hadn't actually _told _Zelda any of what he knew. In fact, he hadn't ever told her how he'd found her or why he was dressed like the ancient heroes. So, because of this, Zelda knew nothing about the Golden Goddesses, the power of the Triforce, the fate to which the world could fall if Ganondorf were successful... she knew nothing, really. Practically nothing.

"Yes, _Goddesses. _Din, Farore, and Nayru; they're the Golden Goddesses of Hylia, three, shall I say 'shards,' of Hylia's soul when she gave up her godly figure to become a mortal with the Hero of Hylia."

Zelda's eyes widened a bit, seeming to remember something.

"I've heard their names before... read about them actually." she said. "There were flames named after them when the Hero of the Sky went and forged the Master Sword." Link nodded, remembering when she'd told him of her historic findings while reading when they were younger.

"But, the Goddesses, they had a servant, a fairy like woman, who told me that Ganondorf isn't giving up as easily as we'd hoped. He's still after the Triforce."

Link paused, expecting Zelda to react wildly to such news. Instead, her expression grew scared and grave as she looked at Link. After some time, Zelda bit her lip and closed her eyes.

"Go on." she said, her voice shaky with sadness and anger, eyes still closed.

"She told me that the only way to defeat him was by getting the Blade of Evil's Bane, or as we know it, the Master Sword, and by killing him. She said it was because he is a pure manifestation of evil, and so only the Master Sword can kill him."

Zelda let out a shaky breath through her nostrils, and then opened her eyes.

"And so if you don't kill him, he'll get the Triforce then, right?" Zelda asked, her tone flat and monotonous. Link nodded.

A silence passed between the two as Zelda calmed herself and Link waited for her to speak.

"...and with the Triforce, he'd wish for the end of the world, won't he?" Zelda asked.

"...yeah, something like-" Link jerked his head up to Zelda, a brow raised as he looked to her. He then asked, "How did you know he'd wish for that?"

Zelda huffed and looked away from Link, out the window, and to the sky. She stared out of that window for quite some time, thinking back to a few nights before.

"...because I've had dreams too, Link." she said. "You aren't the only one."

"What?" he asked, surprised. "Why didn't you didn't tell me?"

Zelda looked down to Link and crossed her arms, raising a brow to him. "Why didn't you ever tell me about yours?" she shot back. Link narrowed his eyes slightly at her.

"Okay, okay, I get it. I should have told you. But, you've had dreams?" Link asked. Zelda nodded. She suddenly slouched, resting her chin on her fist, and then frowned as she recalled some of her dreams.

"They were more...well they weren't anything like the Sacred Realm. I've never been there. I've just had these terrible dreams, nightmares even. Each one was of the same thing: dark skies, dead fields, hopeless people... In each dream, he would just loom in the back of my mind; I knew that he was responsible for all that had happened in them. And the Triforce that he'd mentioned... I knew it was important in the dreams too."

Link frowned and furrowed his brows.

"How long have you had them for?" he asked.

"They've been happening since we saw Ganondorf. They..." Zelda sighed and pulled her knees up to her chest. "They scare me, Link, to be quite frank."

Link nodded slightly, remembering some of his own nightmares. They'd been about the same things: the world ending, the world being dead, the two of them having to _save _it. And they'd all scared him too.

"I've got to end this," Link said suddenly. Zelda looked to him, her eyes widening at the determination in his voice. "I've got to end this before it gets out of hand..."

Link stood up and Zelda's gaze followed him.

"And what are you going to do?" she asked. "Go out and save the world at two in the morning?"

Link looked down to her, hearing the mockery in her tone.

"Zelda..."

"Well?" she asked, her voice rising slightly. "You're just going to leave and save the world then?"

Link furrowed his brows at her sudden change in attitude.

"Zelda, what's gotten into you?"

"Well," she began, "the fact that I found you sitting on my floor dressed and ready to leave got me pretty irked when I woke, and then, I learn that you have to leave and protect a 'Sacred Relic' because some Gods are too lazy to do so themselves, and then we compare dreams which tell of an impending doom upon the whole world unless you can go out and kill some evil guy with a magic sword." Link's eyes widened at the way Zelda had summarized it, recognizing it as a ridiculous tale, one reminiscent of the heroes of old. Zelda continued speaking, snapping Link out of his thoughts.

"Link," she said, "do you realize how crazy and insane this sounds? Do you realize that this is not something that a person -anybody- would want to wake up to in the middle of the night?"

Link closed his eyes and let out a huff.

"Yes, I know. And it is crazy. But, like you said, if I can't go out and kill Ganondorf, then the world as we know it may just end."

"But that's the exact problem!" Zelda exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. "_You _have to do it! Not the Gods who are supposed to! They aren't protecting the world; they're just putting the fate of it into some kid's hands!"

Link frowned at Zelda, but had nothing to say in reply. He knew she was right. In fact, he completely agreed.

"Zelda, I'm sure the Goddesses know what they are doing and why they chose someone so young-"

"But it still bothers the absolute shit out of me, Link." Zelda said, looking up and frowning at him. "Why didn't they choose someone a bit older, more experienced?"

Zelda sighed and looked away from Link, her knees still hugged up to her chest.

"...so how long is this going to take, do you think?" Zelda asked, breaking the short silence which had settled upon the room.

"Well, I was hoping to get the sword in, at most, a week and then-"

"A week?" Zelda asked.

"The blue woman told me it was out in Faron Woods, and so-"

"Wait," Zelda said, raising a brow to Link, "it took us less than three hours to get to the city from Faron Woods. What makes you think that it'll take you _that _long?"

"Provided I won't be taking a horse, I was assuming it would take about a week or two on foot," Link said dryly.

"...oh..."

"Yeah."

"...why don't you take Epona?" Zelda suggested. Link's eyes widened.

"But...she's _your_ horse. Not mine. I thought you'd want to keep her here with you."

Zelda shook her head slowly and then looked up to Link.

"I would," she said, "but you need her with you more than I do now. I trust you with her, and it'll help you get your stupid little quest over with."

Link formed a small smile on his lips, and Zelda returned the favor with a small, sad smile of her own.

Once more, silence passed and they seemed to remain in Zelda's room for quite some time, until once again Zelda broke the silence.

"Let's go get Epona," she said quietly.

Link looked down to Zelda, becoming concerned with the sadness in her voice. Zelda ignored his looks of worry and sympathy, and got up out of her bed and began to walk towards the archway out of it. She stopped and turned back when she noticed that Link wasn't following.

"Aren't you coming?" she asked. Link slowly nodded and followed.

~...~...~...~...~

Zelda and Link had made their way out of the castle, careful to not get into the sights of any of the guards that were carelessly hanging about. It was quite an easy task, sneaking around and out of the castle, and once they were out, they both stopped at the bridge leading into the town.

"Link," Zelda said, looking to him with unintentionally sad eyes, "I'll go and get Epona. Just stay here until I get back, okay?"

Link nodded.

Zelda hesitantly left, but was soon gone, going around the side of the castle to where the Royal stables were. Link watched her go until she was not to be seen, and then walked over to the side of the bridge.

Link leaned onto the bridge's stone wall and looked down into the flowing waters of the moat. There, he saw his reflection wavering in the water. It was the reflection that he had seen many times before, one of him, but the image itself was of a new person; a hero. He was blonde like the heroes. Blue eyed; also like the heroes. Pointed ears; oh yes, that was certainly a trait they all had. Also, the most _important _part: green clothing.

Yes, everything was there, everything that could make him appear to be a hero.

Not that he was much of one.

Link sighed and rested his head in his hands and continued to look into the waters. Once, the image he saw would have been astounding and awe-inspiring to him, but now... now was different. He had seen a splice of the life of a hero, and it was not pretty. If anything, he wished he _hadn't _seen it. Any of it. And then of course there was the fact that-

"Link?"

Link suddenly spun around and saw Zelda standing there with Epona by her side.

"Oh, uh, hey Zel." he said with a small smirk.

"I've called your name at least five times." she said, her sad expression unwavering.

"I, uh, I didn't hear...sorry." Zelda nodded.

"Should we go to the outer gates?" Zelda asked, hoping that he'd say yes that way she'd be with him for a bit longer. Thankfully, he nodded.

The two walked out of the castle walls and into the city, easily slipping by sleeping guards who were supposed to be awake and on the job. Leading into the streets was an easy task as well, for no one was upon them.

Link and Zelda finally came to the western gate, the one which they'd entered the city about three days prior. The large wooden gates were opened and led out to the Hylian fields beyond, out to where Link would soon be.

As they stood there, Zelda looked down to her right hand, and down to Epona's reigns. She stared down to them for quite some time, not handing them over to Link.

"Zelda, I-"

Suddenly, unexpectedly, Zelda let go of the reigns and wrapped her arms tightly around Link's neck. Link was surprised at Zelda's sudden embrace, but he hugged her back anyway despite this.

The two held each other tightly, and the embrace lasted a long time, at least until Link heard Zelda snuffling.

"Zelda, are you alright?" he asked as he pulled away from the hug.

Zelda looked up to Link, her eyes watery and her face wet with tears.

"No." she said bluntly. "I'm not."

Link hugged Zelda tight to him again, and she began to cry softly in his arms.

"You'll be alright, Zelda. You'll be fine," he cooed, hoping to calm her down, "you've got your mother, your father, and people who will look after you here. I'll only be gone for a short time, and I'll try to come back and see you after I get the sword."

Zelda pulled away and looked Link in the eyes.

"Y-You promise?" she asked as she swiped at some stray tears on her face.

"Yes," he said as he nodded, "I do."

The two hugged once more, with Zelda's chin resting on Link's right shoulder as he held her tight. As they hugged, Zelda turned her head slightly towards Link's right cheek, her lips brushing against his skin. She starred down to his cheek for quite some time, not really thinking, not really there. Link stood there too, still holding her, but his brows raised in question as he felt Zelda's lips lightly against his cheek. As she stood unmoving, Link did not know what to do.

Finally, she blinked.

Once, twice, and she came out of her trance. She realized how close she had been to him, realized that her lips were practically on his cheek, that she'd nearly _kissed_ him.

Zelda pulled away from the hug completely and looked down to the ground. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't find any words. She instead let out a short, defeated breath. Zelda reached for the reigns to Epona's head harness. She looked down to the leather straps she held in her hand for a moment, but no longer.

"Here." she murmured, reluctantly handing them over to Link.

Link took them, and took Zelda's hand in his own two. Zelda looked up to him, a small frown etched on her face, and her eyes wide and despondent.

"I'll be back," Link said again, "I promise I will."

Zelda nodded slightly and closed her eyes. She let out one last defeated breath, hoping that Link was right.

Link took the reins from Zelda's hand which, once he'd let go of it, fell slowly to her side.

He passed one last look to Zelda before mounting Epona, and even then he looked down to her again. She looked up to him and he offered her a small smile. Zelda smiled slightly, ever so slightly, but it was soon gone.

"I'll see you later, Zel," Link said, smiling again in hopes of lightening Zelda's mood.

Link clicked his tongue and kicked Epona's sides to get her moving. Epona whinnied and reared, but was soon off, running away into the night.

"Goodbye, Zelda!" Link called as he turned and waved back to his friend.

Zelda stood still, shoulders slouching, lips frowning, and eyes filled with sorrow. Her long dark hair blew slightly in the breeze, following the way Link had left.

Quietly, ever so quietly, she whispered her goodbye, the sound of her voice almost hidden by the wind.

"...goodbye, Link..."


	29. Chapter 27 point 5

_Sorry for not updating last week :( I just couldn't find the time to update, and plus I hadn't been writing at ALL. I've been on an art kick instead. But that's over now, and you can expect another update next week, right on schedule! (also, sorry that this chapter is a little short; longer ones are coming)._

_Speaking of art kick, have you seen the new cover? :D I actually did it! You can see the full sized picture here, just remove the spaces: atomictaco24. deviantart art/LoZ-Triforce-Saga-Cover-378500102_

_Also, you may have noticed that this is a "point 5" chapter. I don't think I explained it before, but these chapters are supposed to show Zelda's perspective seeing as I've tried to keep the story mostly Link's. They'll make some more appearances throughout the story, and you'll begin to see more of them soon. I just wanted you guys to know so that when you see these, you'll know why they're there :P_

_Read, Review, and Enjoy!_

* * *

Zelda remained standing at the gates to the Capital of Hylia for quite some time after Link had already left her sights. They'd never been separated before in their entire lives, and if they were, it was for no longer than a day. She hadn't been ready to say goodbye, not to her best friend. Not to someone she loved and dearly cared for.

Finally, Zelda decided to let herself to turn and look away from where Link had left. As she turned around, prepared to begin her walk back to the castle, she found that someone stood before her, blocking her path. Zelda gasped and looked up to see Ilda, the Shiekah woman from the castle, standing before her. Ilda's arms were crossed, eyes narrowed, staring down to Zelda.

"Princess," she said, her tone of voice stern, "what are you doing out of the castle?"

Zelda looked up to Ilda, her eyes wide with fear.

"I-I can explain," she said, taking a lock of her hair in her hand.

"Then do so."

Zelda sighed and tugged on her hair, nervously playing with it as she stood there.

"...Link had to go."

"I saw that," Ilda said, her tone unwavering. "Why did he have to go?"

"Because..." Zelda paused, unsure if she should tell Ilda the exact reason why he had to go. She saw no other choice than to be honest. She sighed. "He had a dream of the Sacred Realm, and in it he was told that he had to go out and find the Master Sword, then go and kill Ganondorf," Zelda explained as she closed her eyes tightly, so as to keep new tears from streaming down her face. "And he decided to leave at night, and he tried to do it without telling me."

Ilda's expression softened and her crossed arms loosened. As Zelda continued to explain the circumstances, the little details of why Link had gone, Ilda began to understand that this was not something to scold and chastise Zelda about. She understood that, as Zelda's crying became more and more pronounced, this was something serious, something which hurt Zelda greatly.

"….a-and, he's going to be gone," Zelda said, her voice wavering as she looked up to Ilda with watery eyes, "but I wanted him here."

"Princess," Ilda said as she lifted Zelda's chin up with a single finger. "Princess, I know how hard it is to say goodbye to someone you love," she said, "believe me... I do. But with these partings, another meeting is sure to follow, and I believe that with Link, you will see him again."

"But what if I don't?!" Zelda barked, finally letting new tears fall down her face as she now clenched her fists at her sides and pulled away from Ilda. "What if he dies!? What'll I do? What then?!"

Ilda looked down to Zelda sadly, understanding her pain. She could tell that Zelda loved him; that he was the most important person to her. She had seen that it was the same with Link to Zelda. She had plainly seen so in the previous day's events. She also understood the feelings which Zelda was experiencing, for she too had known several people before, each one near and dear to her heart that it had been difficult for her to let any of them go.

Ilda reached out and placed her hands on Zelda's shoulders as a form of comfort. Zelda, though with angry trembling lips, looked up through watery blue eyes, and up to Ilda's own red ones.

"Zelda, Link is a brave and courageous young man, and I believe he is capable of carrying out Hylia's will and still return home safely. You must have faith, Princess. You must have faith in him."

Zelda sighed and closed her eyes as she calmed herself down and listened to Ilda's words.

"I do have faith Ilda, I do, but..."

"But what?" Ilda asked gently.

"I'm just scared for him." Zelda looked up to look Ilda directly in the eyes again. "I'm scared because he nearly died once already. Twice, in fact. And I don't want him to die, Ilda," Zelda said as she shook her head, "I don't want him to die."

Ilda and Zelda stared each other in the eyes for a moment, taking no longer before Ilda had to take Zelda in her arms and hug her, offering the girl more comfort than before as she began to cry.

"I know, Zelda, I know," she said softly. "And I know what you've seen, and I know it has affected you greatly. But do not make yourself miserable with negative thoughts, Princess. Please. Instead, keep your faith. Keep your spirits high, and believe in Link."

"Okay," Zelda said quietly with a nod, "okay, I'll try."

Ilda pulled away from Zelda and smiled.

"A wise choice, Princess. A very wise choice indeed."

Zelda looked up to Ilda and smiled slightly, though her sadness still shone through it.

"Come, Princess; you need rest. It has been a long day and night. Perhaps you will feel better in the morning. Let us return to the castle."

Ilda and Zelda began to walk back into the city and back to the castle in silence, until Zelda spoke.

"Ilda?"

Ilda stopped and turned to look at Zelda once again.

"Yes, Princess?"

"...thank you."

Ilda smiled at Zelda and wrapped an arm around Zelda's shoulders.

"You are more than welcomed, Princess. I am glad to help."


	30. Chapter 28

_New chapter! _

_I don't have much to say, but I do have a bit of a story to tell you! So, this week a friend and I went to Goodwill, bought some tacky clothes (and nice leather jackets for cheap) and on our way home we got into a car wreck! She'd been driving and swerved out of the way of an animal, and we wrecked. We're both okay though, so meh. I don't see why people get so worked up about it though; really, I don't. I'm not upset about it, but she was. She was a wreck. Oh well. _

_Anyway, Read, Review, and Enjoy!_

* * *

It had been many hours that Link and Epona had been travelling through the fields of Hyland, and only now as the sky was beginning to lighten up, however slightly, had they reached the edge of Faron Woods.

"It's about time we got here," Link muttered in a weary tone. Though long before in the night he'd been wide awake, he had slowly become drowsy and tired. As of now, he was exhausted and irritable, and he knew it.

Link closed his eyes and scoffed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I swear as soon as all of this is over with, the Goddesses had better make me a god or something, otherwise none of this will have been worthwhile." he said sarcastically, though the words had spite to them.

As he had said this, Epona turned her head to the side and peered at him as she walked. Link took notice of this and raised a brow at the horse.

"What girl?" he asked. Epona snorted and shook her head, returning to her walk. "Oh what, the fact that I'm irritated?" he asked. Epona's head bobbed slightly to the side, indicating a 'yes.' Link sighed and his demeanor softened.

"I'm sorry girl," he said as he shook his head, "I'm just tired is all." Link paused and looked up and ahead as they entered the woods, suddenly wondering how he'd find the way to Skyview Village in the dark.

_I guess I just need to be on the lookout for that road,_ he thought as he looked around. _It wasn't near the beginning of the woods though. It was closer to Ordon._

For the next twenty minutes, Link carefully watched the woods for any sign of a road which would take him to Skyview. The sky continued to brighten up as he traveled, the soft light of morning beginning to break through the canopy of the forest. Link rolled his eyes at the early morning light and continued to look through the woods for the side road.

After another five minutes or so of slow travel, he frowned.

"Epona," he said as he leaned over slightly to speak more directly to her, "don't you think you could go a _little _faster? This is taking too long."

Epona seemed to narrow her eyes, however slightly, at Link who just raised a brow to her. She just snorted.

Before Link could say another word to Epona to get her to speed up, Epona began a fast trot, and then quickly changed to a full-blown gallop.

"Epona, hey!" Link shouted as he snatched up her reigns and held onto his green hat.

Epona ran full steam ahead, turning slightly every now and again to get a glimpse of Link. Each time she saw him he seemed awake and alert, yet oddly amused at the same time. This is exactly what she had been aiming for, what she'd been hoping to achieve: to cheer him up.

"Epona!" Link shouted, his voice sounding more upbeat as he tried to fight a smile which tugged at his lips. "Epona slow down!"

Epona did not listen to Link's command and continued to run down the winding road, leading the two of them deeper and deeper into the woods.

Link looked up from Epona and wildly looked around as he tried to spot the road to Skyview. He could tell he was getting closer, for the road was straightening out and his surroundings were becoming more familiar.

"Epona slow down!" he commanded more sternly. Epona still did not listen. "Epona I said-"

Link rapidly turned his head as he saw the narrow road which he was to turn down pass by.

"EPONA!"

Link tugged at Epona's reigns, forcing Epona to come to an abrupt stop. This caused her to rear back and whinny, thus making Link keep a careful balance.

Epona fell back to the ground with a thud. Link left out a few huffs, watching Epona as she shook her head rapidly from side to side. Link let out a final short breath and looked down to Epona, frowning slightly.

"Epona, you made us pass up the road," he scolded lightly. Epona bowed her head in apology to Link. Link shook his head in a discouraging manner as he led Epona back around and towards the road to Skyview. As he did so, he noticed that Epona was upset. He widened his eyes slightly at this realization and frowned sadly. Link, thinking of a way to make her feel better, smirked and leaned toward her.

"You're a rotten horse, you know that?" he said playfully as he reached into a pack on the side of the saddle. Epona twitched her ear back as she heard the familiar sound of the leather unlatching from her side. "But I guess that's nothing a couple of sugar cubes can't fix, now is it?"

Link leaned farther forward and fed Epona three sugar cubes from his hand which she happily took to. He laughed as she devoured them at an eager rate, the three cubes being gone within a matter of seconds.

"Alright Epona," he said as he sat back up right, "prove to me you're not a rotten horse anymore and quickly, but _calmly_, take me to Skyview."

Epona neighed and cheerfully bobbed her head up and down, beginning to trot down the road, going fast, but not _too_ fast.

~...~...~...~...~

The two arrived at Skyview in no time. The sky was still fairly dark, not bright enough to be considered day. Lanterns in the village which hung at various posts seemed to be the only things lighting up the sleepy village.

Link dismounted Epona and walked side by side with her into the village, wondering if anyone was awake here. He soon got his answer.

"Hey!" a man's voice called from within the village.

Link and Epona's heads turned immediately to the source and saw a buff young man, one slightly older than Link, with short blond hair running toward him, a torch in hand. Link stood still and wide eyed as the man approached him, wondering what he'd done wrong.

The man finally stopped in front of Link, lowering the torch in his hand. His hard expression softened at the sight of Link.

"Oh," he said, now sounding calmer than before, "you're just another person." Link raised a brow to his statement.

"Yeah," Link said, "what else would I have been?" The tall and buff blond man sighed and frowned slightly.

"Well," he said, a country accent present in his tone, "there've been monsters 'round these parts for the past week or so. I've been watchin' the village t'night in case any monster's showed up. Thankfully, there haven't been none to terrorize us."

Link looked away from the man and cast a glance to the woods. He remembered what Sia had told him when she took him to Skyview temple.

_"The woods," _she'd said, _"they seem so odd..."_

_Maybe she was right about that, _Link thought. _Maybe there is something wrong with the forest..._

"What're you lookin' at bud?" the blond man asked, snapping Link out of his thoughts.

"Oh," he said, "it's just that I came through here recently, a girl in this village by the name of Sia took me to-"

"Oh!" the man bellowed, surprising Link, "So you're the one she'd been talkin' 'bout," he said with a slight laugh.

"She's been talking about me?" Link asked.

"Yeah, well, she mentioned you and this girl who came through here not too long ago. She said you two were doin' somethin' important, but she'd never tell me what it exactly was."

Link nodded slightly, supposing that Sia had kept it a secret for him and Zelda's sake. Not that it really mattered now, of course.

"I know it's early," Link said, abruptly changing the subject, "but do you think that Sia would be up? I have to talk to her about something kind of important."

The man raised a brow at Link and crossed his arms, becoming more serious than before, but slowly nodded.

"I'll go an' check if she's up."

Link cocked his head slightly as the buff young blond man left, slightly taken aback by his sudden seriousness. Link shook his head a bit and turned his attention to Epona.

"You tired like me?" he asked as he scratched her snout. Epona snorted in response, causing Link to smile. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

Link waited for the man to return, but instead watched as he and Sia emerged from the house, Sia looking over to Link with a certain kind of eagerness. The two saw each other and smiled. Sia looked away and told something to the blond man before rushing over to meet Link.

"Link!" she called as she ran from her house where the blond man stood watching them.

"Hey Sia," Link greeted with a small smile as she neared. Sia smiled in return and nodded to him. "You're certainly up early," he said, noticing that she was fully dressed and wide awake.

"Yes," she said with a slight laugh, "it is in my nature to be up at this time. It is nothing out of the ordinary."

Link rolled his eyes.

"Pshhhh, I can't stand waking up early." he stated.

"Yet here you are," she said with a smirk. She looked up to Link's face and got a good look at it, causing her smile to fade into a frown. "You look deathly tired, Link," she stated, now sounding more concerned. "Is everything alright? Did everything work out at the castle? Is Princess Zelda okay?"

Link nodded.

"Is that an answer to everything?"

"Yes," Link said, glancing up to Epona for a second. "But," he said, turning back to Sia, "I have a question."

"Yes, Link?" Sia asked. "What is it?"

"Well, you see, I uh, I kinda need to get to the Ancient Temple of Hylia. I was wondering if you may know where that's at exactly." he said as he scratched the back of his neck nervously. Sia's red eyes widened slightly at Link's statement.

"Well," she said quietly, raising a finger to her lip as she thought, "I am not sure that_ I _know where it is. It is an ancient building, one which, to most people's knowledge, may not even exist anymore." Link nodded.

"Yeah, I know," Link said, understanding. "But I still need to get there, at least to whatever may still _be_ there, anyway."

Sia took in a deep breath and then let out a heavy sigh.

"Though I may not be able to promise anything to you, I do believe that there may still be a chance of finding it. My Grandfather, Elder Padralot, is a very wise man, and he may know the whereabouts of the ruins of the temple. In fact," she said, sounding slightly surprised, "he may even have a map. An old one perhaps, but still a map which you could decipher. Would you like that?" she asked kindly, looking up to Link.

"Yeah," Link said with a smile and a nod. "Sounds great."

"Very well then. Come with me to the house. We will discuss it in further detail." she ordered.

"What'll I do with Epona?" Link asked as he looked over to Zelda's horse.

Sia looked up to Epona and smiled slightly, but then turned around and looked to the blond man.

"Tanyr!" she called, waving for him to come near. The blond man, now known as Tanyr, came over quickly and nodded to Sia.

"Yeah Si, what is it?" he asked.

"Tanyr I need you to bring Link's horse Epona to the field while he and I go to the house to discuss some, er, things. Will you please do so?" she asked. Tanyr eyed Link in a wary sort of way, his arms crossed as before, and the friendly nature which he had first shown completely missing.

"Alright Si," he said as he took Epona's reigns. "Tell me if you need anythin' else."

Tanyr walked off and Link watched him go, eyeing him strangely as he went.

"What's his deal?" Link asked, once he was out of earshot. Sia turned her head to Link and raised a brow. "As soon as I mentioned I needed to see you he became kinda... standoffish, I guess?"

"Oh," Sia said, waving her hand, "he is just protective over me. We have known each other since a young age so he is like a brother..." Sia said, trailing off and thinking for a moment. She finally shook her head and looked back to Link. "Shall we be going then?"

Link nodded.

As the two began to make their way over to Sia's house, Sia began to talk.

"So Link," she said, glancing over to him for a moment, "would you care to answer my questions from before in a bit more detail than just 'yes?'" she asked.

"Sure," Link replied. "What were they again?"

"Well, all that I truly wish to know is how it is that you both managed to convince the king and queen that Zelda was the lost princess. I know that both of their majesties were sensitive when it had come to the subject."

"Well, eh, that's quitea story," Link said as he let out a nervous little chuckle, his cheeks going pink with a bit of embarrassment. Sia took notice of his sudden change and turned to him with her brows raised.

"Oh," Sia said, mockingly interested, "now do you care to tell?"

Link looked down to her and smirked.

"Well, you see, we couldn't _exactly _get in to speak with the king and queen, even though we'd tried, so, what we _had _to do was kinda break into the castle and meet with them ourselves..."

Sia just gawked at Link, stopping in place as she looked at him. All Link could do was nervously grin.

"_You broke into the castle?!_" Sia asked, astonished. "And you were _successful?!_"

Link laughed a bit again and scratched the back of his neck.

"Heh heh, well, _that's _the funny part... Actually, no. We weren't. We got caught by a skinny woman by the name of-"

"Ilda?" Sia finished, her focus taken off of the subject.

"Yeah," Link said, now raising his own brow at Sia. "How'd you know her name?"

Sia nervously half-smiled and looked up to Link.

"She is my mother..." Sia said nervously.

Link's smile faded and he sort of stared at Sia for a while.

"What?" Link asked after a brief period of silence. "She's your _mother?_"

"Yeah, heh, well, funny thing about that..."

"Yeah, it sure is a funny thing," Link said, frowning at Sia. "Why didn't you tell us that your mother was a servant at the castle? We could have probably had a better chance of getting into the castle and meeting the king and queen had we known that!" Link exclaimed.

Sia slightly pouted and crossed her arms.

"In all fairness, I did not know she was there. She had gone off for some matters of her own some time ago and I had been shipped here while she was away. I was unaware of her return to the castle. Had I known, I would have offered to travel with you both to help you in, or written a letter to her stating your situation."

Link still frowned, his lips slightly pursed.

Sia suddenly smiled at Link, finding his expression amusing.

"At least you now possess an adventurous story to pass on when you are older," Sia stated. "To your children, possibly? Maybe they too can relate one day."

Link's eyes widened as Sia walked off, smirking as she went.

"Hey, what are you getting at?" he asked as he caught up with her. Sia just turned to him and raised her brows slightly, turning back and looking away from him. Link shook his head at her, knowing that she would not answer the question. Instead, the two made it to Sia's home without another word from either one on the subject of whether or not Sia was truly trying to hint at something.

Link opened the door for Sia, despite her impish nature prior, and followed her within the house.

"Grandfather," Sia called out, walking to the center of the large room, "we have a visitor."

Sia stepped to the side and motioned over to Link.

A figure that had been sitting on the floor cross-legged stood up, helped to their feet by a wooden cane, and looked to Link.

"Ah," her Grandfather said as he now stood, "and this must be the new Hero."


	31. Chapter 29

Sia's Grandfather, Elder Padralot, was a thin elderly man with dark, tan skin and a puffy white beard. He had bright red eyes just like Sia, and the tattoo of a red crying eye, although his was tattooed upon forehead and down the bridge of his long and pointed nose. He also stood with a slight hunch, bent over his wooden cane which he held with both hands in front of him.

"Well," Sia's Grandfather said, "it is nice to finally meet you, Hero Link," he said with a nod and a smile.

"Eh," Link said with a modest smile, "I wouldn't say I'm a hero, sir."

Elder Padralot raised a brow as he looked at Link.

"Well, I would deem that, by your attire and recent deeds, that you may be addressed as so." Padralot said. "After all, rescuing a lost princess from an evil king is a very heroic and courageous thing to do." He paused and then appeared more serious than before. "But something tells me that you have returned for something of more importance. May I ask what that is?"

Link frowned slightly and turned and looked over to Sia. Sia then turned and looked to her Grandfather.

"Grandfather," she said, "Link is here and is searching for the Ancient Temple of Hylia. He does not know its exact whereabouts, and I am not knowledgeable about the temple's placement in these woods. We were wondering if you may have any information on the temple." Sia explained.

"Have I –or your mother for that matter- truly never showed you the Temple of Hylia, Sia?" Elder Padralot asked. Sia shook her head.

"You have taught me much about it, and I know a great deal about its importance in legends, but you have never taken me to it, nor had my mother." Sia replied. Her Grandfather frowned.

"Is that so? Hmm. Well," he said as he began to walk across the room to a table against the wall, "the Temple of Hylia is of course as you know the place where the Goddess Reborn and the Hero of the Sky came down and each learned of their destinies for the world. You may also know that the Statue of the Goddess Hylia is within reach of the Temple as well," he said, glancing back over his shoulder as he reached a wall with shelves of jars filled with paper scrolls. Elder Padralot turned his head back to the shelves and scanned them as he continued.

"And, of course, the Temple and Goddess Statue are both within Faron Woods, but due to time and abandonment, both the Temple and Goddess Statue have likely fallen into a state of disrepair and are now likely ruined. These ruins however," he said as he reached up to a high shelf and took a jar with many papers down, "can still be found."

Sia's Grandfather stopped speaking for a moment and sifted through the rolled up papers, taking some out and looking over them, rolling them back up and taking another.

"Elder Padralot," Link called out politely.

"Yes, Hero Link?" he called back in reply as he unrolled another paper.

"It is true that the Master Sword is within the Temple, right?" Link asked. Elder Padralot turned to the side and looked over to Link as he lowered a paper.

"Why yes," he said, "at this Temple, or at least its ruins, is where the sword of legend is located. This is why you are going there?" Padralot asked, turning back to his papers.

"Yes sir," Link called back. Padralot nodded.

"What reason do you have to retrieve such a weapon, Hero?" Sia's Grandfather asked as he put down a paper. Link hesitated a moment and then answered.

"To kill Ganondorf."

Elder Padralot froze in place and looked up to the wall straight ahead of him. His hands paused in their place, tightening around the scrolls through which he'd been sorting. There was a moment of tense silence which passed.

"Grandfather?" Sia called out softly as she took a few steps toward him. "Grandfather, are you alright?"

Elder Padralot blinked a few times and lowered his head, returning to his sorting.

"Yes Sia," he answered, his back still turned to both Link and Sia, "I am... I am fine."

Link passed an apologetic expression over to Sia who saw and nodded. He felt guilty for causing whatever form of sadness or anger he seemed to suddenly cause Elder Padralot to feel.

"There we are," Sia's Grandfather said as he pulled out a rolled up piece of yellowed paper. He turned around with the scroll in one hand and his cane in the other and made his way back to Link and Sia.

"This map," he said as he came to Link, "is an out of date depiction of Hyland and its borders from years long gone. Due to its age, some features of this map may be incorrect, but the Temple's placement is the same. If you have a map, I welcome you to compare and determine the location of the Temple of Hylia."

"I do," Link said, "but it's in my horse's saddlebag."

"Here," Padralot said as he handed over the map, "at least you may look at it and memorize the differences. I am sure that it should not be too difficult to remember."

Link took the delicate map from Sia's Grandfather carefully and looked it over. Much of Hyland was the same, with only slight difference in boundaries, towns, and land features. He looked down to the southern part of the scroll and looked over Faron Woods. Link noticed that his own town of Ordon had not been established and that this section of the woods and ravine near his home were not even marked upon the map. As his eyes moved from where Ordon now was and to Skyview, he saw that the village appeared larger and more important here.

From the village of Skyview, he also noticed roads which had once been in place in the woods. One led to Skyview Temple and followed a similar path which he and Sia had taken to get to the temple not too long before. Another road led straight from Skyview and to the east where it ran into a large tree, marked enormously on the map. The roads broke off into two branches, with one branch headed north to connect with the road to Skyview Temple and another leading south. At the end of this road was the Temple of Hylia.

"This is the Temple of Hylia," Link said, looking up to Elder Padralot for confirmation. Padralot nodded. Link looked back down and let his eyes go over the map once more, memorizing it. He then looked up and passed the map back to Sia's Grandfather who took it and began to roll it back up.

"So, Hero," Elder Padralot said, "when is it that you wish to leave for the Temple of Hylia?" he asked.

Link shrugged.

"I figured that I would leave soon. I mean, I really want to get this done." Link paused and then added, "Plus I promised Zelda that I'd be back as soon as possible."

Elder Padralot raised a brow at Link.

"That may be," he said, "but if you are not fully alert as you go, such may not happen. Perhaps it would be best if you rested for some time before you left, hmm?"

"Well, I wouldn't want to impo-" Link began, only to be cut off by Sia.

"Link," she said, causing him to turn around to face her, "my Grandfather is right. You need sleep. If you are not fully rested, then you may become injured or even worse. Please," Sia said, "rest here. We more than welcome you."

"You're sure?" Link asked, looking both to Sia and Elder Padralot.

"Yes," they both said at the same time. "Besides," Sia added, "you have slept here before. It is fine."

"Well, I didn't invite myself over and intrude then. You were the one who brought me here that time," Link pointed out.

"Yes, and you were nothing but deadweight then," Sia retorted in a serious yet playful manner. Link pouted slightly. "So, frankly, I did not mind then and I do not mind now! Now, come, and get some rest."

Link shook his head and rolled his eyes as he began to follow Sia back to her room. Sia opened the door and held it open for him, leading him into the small room. It was much more disorganized than before, with papers scattered about upon the unmade bed; pots and books from the shelves pulled and lying on the floor, some empty and others not.

"Allow me a moment to clear off the bed," she said. "I apologize for this mess..."

Sia went ahead of him and began to shuffle through papers, making messy stacks of papers, both rolled and unrolled.

"So, it takes less than a week for me to come back and I find this entire room a mess?" Link teased as he picked up a few papers. He looked over them and saw that some had paintings on them and others had writing on them. Some of the writing he understood, but others seemed to be foreign languages which he didn't know.

Link made some stacks and placed them on a table pushed up against the wall behind him. He began to make more stacks, picking up some clusters of papers which seemed the same, and continued to help Sia straighten up. He finally came across a small paper of a material which differed from the others. It was smooth and shiny, and an image of people -including Sia, Elder Padralot, Ilda, as well as the King and Queen, along with a few people he did not know- was printed upon it. It was not a painting.

"Uh, Sia?" Link asked, turning to her. Sia finished piling some papers up on her bed and turned to Link.

"Yes?" she said as she turned and looked up to him.

"What's this?" he asked. Sia's eyes went wide at the sight of the paper, her brows beginning to furrow slightly, and her lips forming the smallest frown. "Sia?"

"Oh," she said, realizing she had zoned out, "it's a pictograph," she said, taking it from his hands and showing it to him.

"A picto- what?" Link asked.

"_Pic-to-graph_. Have you never seen one?" she asked. Link shook his head. "Oh...well, a pictograph is an image of people, animals, or simply things which someone wishes to capture. A small box-like machine takes the image and it sort of 'paints' it out. This one in particular one was used to capture a few of the Royal advisors and staff which were important to the King and Queen during a sort of picnic that they had hosted; hence the reason people are smiling and being informal."

"Huh," Link said, looking at it with fascination. "That's neat. But, you said this was a picture of the Royals and their advisors?" he asked. Sia nodded.

"Yes," she said. "It was taken when I was much younger. See here?" she asked, pointing to her younger self in the image. "You cannot see my tattoo. I did not have it then. I am in it because I had been living at the castle with my mother then, and my Grandfather was in it because he was visiting us and the Royals at the time. He was close to the Queen and the Queen's mother when she was a young girl, mostly because she had been a childhood friend to my grandmother Impa."

Link raised a brow. "Zelda's mother was friends with your mother's grandmother?" he asked. "She doesn't seem that old. How could the Queen have been childhood friends with your grandmother if she was married to Elder Pa-"

"Oh!" Sia said with a laugh, "No, I did not explain. They were not married. In fact, my Grandfather is not even related to me or my mother. He is actually an old family friend, one who raised my grandmother from when she was a young girl of about ten."

"Then why don't you call him Great Grandfather?" Link asked.

"Because Great Grandfather is too long of a title." Sia said plainly with a shrug. Link smiled slightly and shook his head, returning his focus to the picture.

"Do you know anyone else in this picture?" Link asked.

"Well, the King and Queen of course, but no, not especially." Sia scanned the picture with her eyes once and realized something. "Oh," she said, her voice a bit somber, "this is- er_, was_- my father." she said, pointing to a man with light brown hair standing near Ilda. He wore a richly colored red tunic and had a sword with a golden hilt at his hip. Upon the man's chest, what appeared to Link to be a small golden pin of a bird, such as the one on his shield.

"This was your dad?" Link asked, looking up from the pictograph and to Sia. She nodded. He looked back down to the photo and studied the man, looking for any similarities to Sia. There were hardly any, so it seemed. The most he could see was the same was Sia's lips, and face shape.

"You hardly look like him," he said. "I don't mean that to be rude, but..."

"It's fine," Sia said, with a smile. "I know. I look more like my grandmother Impa. That is what all people who knew her say. Even my mother." Sia shrugged for a moment and looked back down to the picture. "I hardly knew him as it was anyway. He was off most of the time; leading troops, helping citizens, watching the castle...he was a knight, so such was to be expected. He was a good man, though from what I remember; he was very happy and cheerful. He loved my mother very much too, and I remember that most of all." she explained. Link nodded, understanding her.

"So, would you mind me asking how he died?" Link asked quietly. Sia frowned slightly and continued to look at the picture. Link immediately saw and thought he had offended her. "I don't need to know Sia, it's alright and I-"

Sia glanced up to him and smiled. "You are too polite for your own good, do you know that?" she asked. Link's face went red and he scratched the back of his neck.

"Heh...uh, thanks," he said.

Sia took in a breath and looked down to the photo.

"My father died while off fighting and defending some of the last raids of the war. It was not Gerudo who killed him, either. It turned out to be some evil bandits of Hylian descent. My poor mother suffered for nearly a year after, for she had loved him dearly. She had also still been mourning her own mother's death from before I had even been born. That is the reason I really feel sad about his passing...not for my sake, but for my mother's." she answered with a small smile.

A moment of silence passed as the two stood there.

"Well," Sia said suddenly, ending the period of silence, "the bed is cleaned off and the floor is slightly navigable." she said with a smirk. She placed the pictograph that they'd both been looking over on the table behind her and returned her attention to Link. "You may sleep for as long as you like, though I will be coming to wake you later this afternoon if you are not up before then. Besides that, catch some sleep. You need it."

Link nodded.

"See you later, Sia," Link said as Sia left the room. She closed the door and left Link alone.

Link slipped his sheath and shield off of his back and let it hang on a bed post at the bottom of the bed. He sat down on the bed and slipped off his boots and set them on the floor, close to his sword and shield. He removed his hat as well and set that atop of the bed post. He looked over to the pictograph on the table once more. As he lie down on his back and began to fall asleep, he suddenly wondered if Zelda had ever been in a pictograph with her parents, even when she had been a baby. The thought was soon lost, however, for he soon fell asleep.


	32. Chapter 30

_Okay, so I am extremely sorry this is late. I just couldn't bring myself to write the first half of this chapter last week because, good god is it just…just boring. I hate writing a scene when there's really nothing going on without elaborating on it (which I didn't want to do either.) I just hate the first half of this one. But, thanks for being patient, or I apologize for your impatience if you've gotten that too, but either way I'm sorry._

_And thank you TechyZeldaNerd for reviewing! Seeing your little comments on each chapter always make me happy, even if I don't always reply. So, thank you!_

_Also, quick question: would any of you be interested in a sort of "outtakes" story? It would really just be incomplete chapters and pre-editing ideas that I had in mind for this story, or chapters that were just completely omitted from this one. The idea's been within my mind for a while, so, just thought I'd ask._

_Read, Review, Enjoy!_

* * *

"Link? Link, it is time for you to wake up."

Link groaned and rolled over in his sleep.

"Link, get up. It is late in the afternoon and you are lucky I have not woken you sooner."

He pulled the pillow over his head and with a muffled voice replied, "I don't wanna."

"Link, you are making this much more difficult than it has to be. If you wake up now, I'll-"

Link cut off the person who was interrupting his sleep.

"No." he said.

There was a pause and all was quiet once more, and Link was peacefully falling back into a state of sleep when the person spoke again.

"Fine. Have it your way."

Suddenly, Link felt himself being yanked out of bed by the covers he was lying on, the unexpected force waking him up as he was pulled from the bed and thrown onto the floor. He landed with a thud and in a tangled mess of the covers from the bed. He fought his way out of the blankets and looked up to find Sia looking down to him with her arms crossed.

"What in the name of Hylia did you do that for?!" he yelled.

"It was to wake you up," she answered calmly, her red eyes blinking once.

"You didn't have to do that!" he exclaimed.

"I offered the easy way," Sia defended, placing her hands on her hips and bending down towards Link, "but you did not comply."

Link scoffed and pushed himself off of the ground, dusting himself off as he went. He stepped off of the blankets and Sia picked them up and tossed them back onto the bed. Link meanwhile reached for his green hat and was beginning to put it back upon his head when she spoke once more.

"So, you are awake now, yes?" she asked innocently, as if she hadn't just practically thrown Link onto the ground. Link just gave her a look as he paused midway putting his hat back on.

"Yes," he said, moodily placing the green cap back atop his head. Sia smirked.

"Good."

As Link drew his hands away from his hat, he noticed the lovely, warm smell of something cooking within the room. He turned and saw that on the stove was a small pot with steam being emitted from it.

"You're cooking?" Link asked as he turned back to Sia. Sia rolled her eyes and nodded.

"Yes. I thought you may want a meal before you left, and so I prepared dinner early. Had I known that you loved the aroma of food, all that I would have had to do to waken you was wave a spoon full of it in front of you in your sleep." Link shook his head.

"It would have done no good; I value sleep over food. Plus, Zelda's tried before. Never really worked." Link informed Sia with a smirk. Sia just shook her head.

"So much for a hero," Sia said. "Anyway, the food is almost ready. It is a vegetable soup, so I hope you don't mind."

"No meat?" Link asked as he walked over and peered into the pot. Sia walked over and joined him, shaking her head.

"No meat." she answered. "My Grandfather and I do not eat much meat of any kind; very occasionally will we eat any." Link scoffed at Sia, who in turn frowned at him. "Oh, never mind you and your meat eating ways. This is still a very lovely soup and you will enjoy it," Sia said with force in her voice. "Now, pass me those bowls."

Link did as Sia asked and handed two bowls over to her. She filled each one with steaming soup, passing one of the bowls to Link and keeping one for herself. She retrieved two spoons for she and Link and the two began their meal within Sia's room. They chat about nothing much, and ate their meals, Link discovering that he rather enjoyed this meatless dish, so much so that he had asked for seconds. Soon though, the two called their meal to a close.

"I've gotta get going soon," Link said, looking out of the window to the evening light. "It's almost sun down."

"Oh, well of course," she said, frowning with a nod. "I have probably kept you for too long as it is." Link shook his head to her.

"No, it's alright. It's still light and I've got time. Besides, talking with you is nice." he said with a smile. Sia returned the favor.

"Well, thank you Link. I feared that perhaps you had found me a bit boring," she said, taking his bowl along with hers to the small sink in her room.

"Just a little," Link said with a grin. Sia rolled her eyes and dropped the bowls into the water.

"So much for chivalry," Sia muttered.

Link stood up as Sia opened and held the door open for Link, who exited the room followed by Sia. Within the main room, Sia's Grandfather, Elder Padralot, was sorting through a book shelf against the right wall. He noticed the two entering the room and looked over to them.

"Ah," he said, "you are awake. Are you leaving soon?" he asked.

"Yes sir," he said, nodding his head.

"Hmm. Well, before you go, there is something else which may be important to you when you enter the woods," Elder Padralot said. Link cocked his head to the side and furrowed his brows.

"What's that?" he asked.

"In the woods are tribes of little wooden children; Deku Scrubs, they are called. Many are vicious and primative, spitting out deku seeds and other projectiles at those who enter their territory, but there is supposedly a group who live peacefully within the ancient Great Deku Tree. This group of plant children may just know the woods well enough to lead you through them and to the ruins of the Temple of Hylia."

"That's great," Link said with a smile and nodded. "I'll be sure to be on the lookout for them. Thanks," he said.

"It is the least I could do for you, Hero Link." Elder Padralot said with a nod. He returned to sorting his books and Sia turned to Link.

"So, you are ready to go then, Link?" Sia asked. Link nodded. The two walked outside of the house together, and stopped when Sia did. "Will you be taking your horse, or would you like for me to watch over her?" she asked.

Link looked over to the woods and decided whether or not to bring her. He remembered the woods being rather unkempt last time when Sia led him through them, and the way that her Grandfather had spoken of the place made it sound as though it was hardly navigable for just a person.

"No, I think you should keep her. Your Grandfather said the paths were long gone and outdated, so I don't think it would be best to bring her. Watch over Epona." Link replied, turning back to Sia, who nodded.

"As you wish. Is there anything else I can do for you before you go?" Sia asked.

"No, I should be fine." he said with a smile. Sia smiled back.

"One more thing before you_ do_ go, however," Sia said. "If you should get into any trouble or need help, remember that we are more than willing to help you." Link nodded and smiled once again.

"Thanks, Sia."

~...~...~...~...~

It had fallen dark quickly when Link began his venture off into the woods. The woods here were extremely dark due to the night and the dense canopy above, but enough moonlight was able to filter through the trees to lead Link through the narrow woodland paths. By this point in time, Link had been wandering the woods for nearly forty-five minutes, but he was beginning to notice changes with his surroundings. The trails seemed to be widening a bit near here, and the grasses appeared to be more trampled here.

_I'm close to something that lives out here,_ he thought as he looked down.

Link continued to navigate the forest, following the new more traversable paths that began to appear. As he traveled however, he began to hear faint shuffling around and about the woods. Though he seemed to catch sight of the nearby shrubs shaking whenever he'd look, he never caught sight what would cause them to move. At first he had figured that they may have been resting animals who scurrying away from him, but as the shuffling continued, he began to peer around his shoulder at nearly every instant, expecting to see a monster.

Suddenly, Link heard what sounded like someone spitting and large object hit the back of his head. Without hesitation, he spun around and drew his sword and slashed it at whatever beast had continued to stalk him. His eyes went wide, however, at the sight of a screaming little wooden child with wide orange eyes standing before him. He stopped himself from hitting the small Deku child at the last moment possible and changed his sword swing up instead of down.

Link had no control over his body at this point, for his sword swing had caused him to lose all control. He fell forward into the dirt, flat onto his face.

"Oh! I didn't know that was going to happen! Oh no no no no no! No wonder the Elder told us to never talk to humans..."

Link opened his eyes, having closed them when he fell, and pushed himself up, sword in hand. He looked up and saw the Deku child, standing still and terrified at the sight of him.

"Eeek!"

Link jumped at the second shriek and pushed himself back, away from the little wooden creature. He looked back up saw before him the small Deku child. The creature was small, being no taller than three and a half feet. It had hair comprised of leaves, and from the top of its wooden head trailed a great length of leaves held back by a flower wrapped around them. It also wore a magenta chest piece and skirt, and so from what Link could tell of its appearance, the Deku was a girl. The poor girl's entire body shook, trembling so much that he was surprised that she did not just collapse.

"P-p-p-l-lea-se d-d-don't h-hurt m-m-me!" the Deku child pleaded.

"I-" Link paused, deciding that saying 'I won't hurt you' would not help. "I'm sorry," he said, seeing that as the only thing fit to say. "I didn't mean to hurt you, I just... I thought you were an enemy. I'm very sorry," he said.

The Deku girl slowly stopped trembling, looking to Link with sad eyes.

"Y-y-you're n-not?" she asked.

"No," he said in an assuring manner, even dropping the sword in his left hand to his side and holding his hands up. "I'm not."

"Oh," she said, sounding relieved. "Are...are you alright?" she asked, clasping her hands before her chest. "I didn't mean to hurt you either, mister."

"Yeah," Link replied, nodding, "I'm fine. But, why did you attack me?" he questioned.

The Deku girl looked down to her feet as she placed her hands behind her back and spun her foot in the dirt.

"Well, I...I needed to get your attention. I've been following you since I saw you near the beginning of the woods..." Link's eyes widened at her sudden confession, more so surprised about the fact that one little Deku girl could make so much noise. "I kind of needed your help..."

Link, needless to say, was baffled by this. The Deku girl looked up from the ground and to Link, who cocked his head to the side in confusion.

"You need me? To help you?" he asked. "Why do I need to help you?"

"I'm sorry!" she suddenly exclaimed, feeling as though she'd imposed upon him. "I-I didn't mean to burden you! I just, I just thought you could help me!" she said.

"No, no, no" he said quickly, "you're not burdening me! I just want to know why you needed me specifically?" he said.

"O-oh..." she said, scratching the back of her head, "I feel kind of silly now... I'm sorry. But, if…if you'd be willing to help, would you mind me explaining my dilemma?"

"Sure," he said, crossing his legs to sit more comfortably, "go on."

"Well, you see, recently my home has been invaded by monsters which have been all around this forest lately. My tribe and I's home, the Great Deku Tree, has been overrun with beasts! And now, members of my tribe are scattered throughout the forest. We don't know if all of them have even gotten out. The one member of the tribe who I'd managed to stay with was Maku, our Elder's Grandson, and we'd both gone out to search for help, even though we aren't really supposed to leave the woods, and we got separated. I was wondering if maybe you could go searching for Maku and my other tribe members with me?"

"I'll help you," he said, "but once we find your tribe members, I'll need your help with something."

"What's that?" she asked.

"I need to get to the Temple of Hylia. Do you know where that's at? Could you take me there once we've found your tribe?" Link asked hopefully.

"I've never heard of the Temple of Hylia, but maybe Maku has. If we find him first, you could ask him about it."

"That's fine," Link said with a smile. The Deku held her hands together and closed her eyes, seeming extremely happy even though she could not smile.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she said, beginning to bounce up and down happily. The Deku girl opened her eyes and looked to Link. "We should go soon- there are monsters out here! I have an idea where Maku will be and we need to hurry so that we can get him and help find the others!"

"Hold on, hold on!" Link said, amused by her enthusiasm. Link got himself off of the ground and picked up his sword, promptly sheathing it. "I don't even know your name yet; what is it?"

"Oh! It's Amaris! And what's yours?" she asked.

"Link," he answered with a smile. Amaris cocked her head to the side.

"That's a funny name. Oh well, come on Link! Let's go find Maku!"


	33. Chapter 30 point 5

_A bit late, but I do have an excuse! This weekend I went to volleyball camp, where we were busy like every single waking moment, and so I was unable to post a chapter. I brought my laptop along because I thought I'd find the time to finish writing this chapter and to post it, but I never did, so I apologize for being late. Here it is now though, so yeah :P_

_Remember that reviews, follows, favorites, and the like are always appreciated!_

_Read, Review, Enjoy!_

* * *

Zelda sat before her large stained glass window on a chair, her head resting upon the windowsill as her fingers twiddled a dying flower that she'd received in Castletown when with Link. Her hair was down and sprawled across her shoulders and upon the sill, but she paid it no mind. Her mind was set solely on the fact that her best friend was gone.

It wasn't his leaving that had hurt her most, but the fact that he tried to leave without letting her know. She also feared for him as well, such as she'd told to Ilda, fearing that he'd be fatally injured or worse: lose his life. But, he was coming to see her before he went to face Ganondorf, right? So, she'd see him again. And he'd be stronger. And he'd have the Master Sword. The Master Sword would protect him.

"Hylia won't let a Hero die," she whispered, "She won't let him die."

"Zelda?" a voice called. Zelda jumped at the sound and turned around seeing her mother within her room and nearing her.

"O-oh, hey, mom..." Zelda greeted. Zelda's mother frowned and cocked her head to the side, noticing her daughter's sad state.

"Are you still upset about Link?" she asked. Zelda looked down and away, but reluctantly nodded. Her mother let out a sigh and went over to Zelda, wrapping her arms around her.

"Oh, Zelda, I know it is hard to have someone you care about dearly leave you," her mother comforted, "but he will return, I promise. I know his leaving was abrupt; you know how upset your father and I were when you and Ilda told us he had left. But Link will be back though, I just know it. He'll come and see you once again." Zelda nodded but turned away and looked back down to the flower in her hand.

"I know... Ilda's said the same thing. It's not just that, but also just that it-it's so strange not having him around. We've practically spent every day together for all of our lives, and... it's weird to do anything without him. Even here, and I, I don't mean any offense, but it's just... it's lacking," Zelda explained as she turned back to her mother.

Her mother frowned slightly, understanding just how the castle may seem 'lacking'. She had experienced it herself when she had married and moved in to become queen. But it also hurt her, knowing that her own _daughter _could not find comfort within at least her.

"Becoming accustomed to castle life is not easy; I know this. But with time you will get more comfortable with the servants and your father and I. There are great people within these walls, Zelda, believe me."

Zelda nodded and looked back out of the window, resting her cheek on her left hand. Her mother watched as she spun the little dried out flower around between her fingers, Zelda looking down to it sadly and longingly. Finally, her mother let out a sigh and placed her hands on Zelda's shoulders.

"Zelda, try to get some rest, okay? You're going to have a busy day tomorrow, what with us introducing you to the council and other political members here. Try not to worry about Link; I am positive he will be fine."

Zelda nodded as her mother pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her forehead.

"I'll see you in the morning," her mother said as Zelda watched her go. When Zelda's mother finally was out of the room and gone, she turned back around to her window-cill and looked down to the flower once again. She bit down on her bottom lip as she stared at it and held back tears which began to form within her eyes.

"Stupid Link," she muttered, her voice cracking as a few tears spilled over her lids and trailed down her cheek. "Stupid for leaving."

She closed her eyes and held her head in her hands. She was frustrated, worried, lonely, and overall upset with how things were. She had hoped that once the two of them -she and Link- had arrived at the castle, that everything would be peachy and fine, but such was not the case with this whole 'destiny' forced upon Link. Now she had something which was more important than life at this castle to worry about, and that was Link.

Footsteps clicking the floor behind her caused Zelda to jump and snap out of her thoughts.

_Is that my mom?_ she wondered as she wiped at her tear stained face and watery eyes, ridding herself of her distraught appearance. _How long was I thinking for?_ Zelda turned around in her chair.

"Mom, I know what you said, not to worry about him and sleep, but I-" Zelda was cut short as she saw who was before her. Her eyes went wide. "I-I-I-"

"Were you not expecting me, _Princess?_" Ganondorf asked as he looked down to her with an evil grin and raised a brow.

Zelda hopped up from her seat and staggered backwards into the window-cill. She could not believe he was here. She could not believe he was in the castle. She could _not_ believe he was in her _room._

"H-h-how- how did you get in here?!" she asked, her voice loud but weak. "How did you get into the castle?!"

Ganondorf simply shook his head while he smirked.

"Oh, it wasn't too difficult, really; a simple costume change is all that it takes to fool the insolent guards and servants within your castle, _Princess,_" he answered as he examined his nails, flicking his hand as though the whole task had been a piece of cake.

"Why are you here?!" she asked frantically. Ganondorf smirked.

"You should know, Princess." he replied. Zelda narrowed her eyes.

"You- your plan failed!" Zelda shouted, not knowing what to say, what to deter him with. "You haven't gotten the Triforce and you _won't _ever get it!" she yelled. Ganondorf began to chuckle and shake his head.

"Such a foolish girl," he muttered, purposefully loud enough for Zelda to hear. He then looked up, his yellow eyes seeming to practically gleam. Zelda kept steadfast though her heart was pounding harshly within her ears and chest.

"You do not realize what an advantage I am at now," he said, grinning. "You do not realize how well this little set up is_, Princess_."

"'Set up?' What do you mean, '_set up'_?" Zelda questioned, narrowing her eyes. Ganondorf obligingly answered her question.

"With you being returned to the castle, quite a few people would be horrified to see you missing once again," he said, causing Zelda to catch her breath. "Not only the king and queen, -your _parents-_ but several others, such as servants, advisors, and even the ignorant townsfolk. That noble little hero of yours would be quite astounded to see you gone as well..."

Zelda backed up even farther into the cill, yet never took her eyes off of Ganondorf. She was in danger, great danger, and she knew it. She realized he was here to kidnap her again, to take her away from her new home, and that it would be difficult to get away from him. She had to think of a plan quickly, one which could save her.

"What do you mean Link would be astounded?" she asked as she thought of a way to protect herself. She flashed her eyes behind Ganondorf and saw her sword at the foot of her bed, and realized that if she were to get to it, then she may just have a chance. "He-he wouldn't even know."

"He shall come to know of your fate soon." Ganondorf replied with a dark smirk. Zelda narrowed her eyes and slowly drew her elbows back.

"Not if you know yours first," she said.

Within less than mere second, Ganondorf's expression had turned from one of conceit and confidence to confusion and surprise as Zelda shoved the Gerudo man out of her way, going past him and to her sword. Ganondorf quickly recovered and kept from staggering far back however, and reached forth and snatched a handful of Zelda's long hair, yanking her back by it and tossing her to the ground. Zelda let out a loud yelp as she was pulled back and thrown to the floor, landing on her side.

_So close!_ she thought as she held a hand to the back of her head. _You should have been quicker!_

"You idiotic girl," Ganondorf growled as he loomed over her, looking down and frowning upon her. Zelda pushed herself up and looked up to Ganondorf as she huffed. She noticed that the man's hands were at his sides, clenched into fists and surrounded by dark purple light. Her eyes went wide.

"You idiotic_, insolent _girl," Ganondorf repeated as he stepped closer. "You do not know the world of trouble which you have entered."

Ganondorf raised his hand before Zelda and a sudden burst of purple light flashed before Zelda's eyes. Immense searing pain immediately over took Zelda's entire body, causing her to let out a dreadful scream. Her cry echoed throughout the chamber. Ganondorf eventually released her from his dark magic, but the pain did not subside in the slightest. Zelda ached all over. Her breaths came in short, shallow, uneven rasps, and she writhed and whimpered in pain upon the floor. Moving in her involuntary contortions caused the pain to intensify.

"Stupid girl," Ganondorf muttered under his breath as he shook his head. "You are weak and powerless. Even in a sword fight you would not have defeated me. To even try was foolish."

"Y-y-y-you," Zelda stammered, opening her eyes into narrow slits and looking up, "y-you will n-n-n-ever, never get the-the T-T-Tri...Triforce." She closed her eyes and gasped in a breath, curling up slightly. "A-a-and I-I'll m-m-make s-sure- sure of th-that!"

"Hmph," he scoffed, frowning upon her, "I'm sure you will, Princess."

Ganondorf leaned down and carelessly picked up Zelda and tossed her over his shoulder causing her to let out a short cry of pain. Zelda let out a series of small blubbering cries and whimpers as she now hung there. Not only did she lament for the pain which she felt, but for the fact that she was being kidnapped once again. It was not good for her, nor was it good for anybody else.

Off in the far front of Zelda's room, several loud, quick paced heels could be heard clicking against the floor. Zelda forced her eyes open and peered over to the side and to the entryway to her room. What she saw was a large group of horrified and bewildered people. Guards, servants, and no one other than her parents and Ilda crowded and stood there.

Ganondorf turned slightly and peered over his shoulder to the large group. He scoffed. Raising his hand, Ganondorf snapped his fingers and the world turned into a blur for Zelda. The last thing she could hear was the faint cry of her mother desperately shouting her name. That soon too faded away.


	34. Chapter 31

_Sorry 'bout the two day tardiness. I've been lazy, enjoying my last few days of summer. Psh. It's three days until school starts for me. Motha flippin' high school. Great. _

_Also, as a side note (and a bit of a spoiler, but, eh, not really), after editing this chapter, the word 'Bokoblins' and anything similar to it I hate. Good god. I had to edit that so many times in this chapter. Ugh._

_OH! Also, big thanks to Chieko Namikaze for favoriting and adding this story to their alerts! I really appreciate it! _

_Read, Review, Enjoy!_

* * *

Amaris had been leading Link through the woods for quite some time now. Since they had met and joined together, the two had been going to seek out a fellow Deku by the name of Maku. On their venture, the two had a run in with a nasty group of Bokoblins, as Amaris had called them, and they nearly harmed the small Deku girl and frightened her half to death. At that point, Link had offered to carry her on his right shoulder as they traveled.

"We should be nearing where Maku and I had been hiding," Amaris exclaimed. "We'll find him soon!" Link smiled and nodded up to her. Link had noticed that as they'd been traveling together, the small Deku girl's upbeat and cheery nature had seemed to rub off on him and put him into the same mood as her. It also amused him the way she would exclaim certain things; it was so childlike, in a way.

Soon enough, the two entered a large clearing within the woods. A nearby babbling brook could be heard over the sound of the crickets. All was still, and not a single sign of a person were near. The two looked around, expecting to see Maku come from somewhere within the brush.

"This is where we were hiding," Amaris said, looking around hopefully, "he's just got to be here!"

It was a few moments longer when the two heard a slight shuffling from ahead of them. They both immediately set their attention to a large bush which was shaking ever so slightly every now and again. Amaris turned to Link and motioned for him to let her down. Link did as he was asked and kneeled, allowing the small Deku child to hop down to the forest floor. She landed with spinning flourish.

"Maku?" Amaris called as she took a few cautious steps forward. "Maku, is that you? It's me, Amaris."

The bush shuffled once more, then paused. The entire bush was still and nothing out of the ordinary occurred. Then, through the dense leaves, a bright pair of red-orange eyes began to glow.

"Amaris?" a distorted voice that was similar to Amaris's called.

"Maku!" Amaris exclaimed as she bounced towards the bush. "Maku you're here!"

Link watched as the Deku by the name of Maku came forth from within the bush and walked forth to Amaris. The new Deku looked like Amaris with minor differences. Maku's hair was different; his hair was made up of what appeared to be tall grass which came out from the top of his head, and he wore skirt made of leaves and beads. A white beaded necklace also hung around the Deku's neck, falling just above his skirt. He also held up a wooden staff with a green spiral gem at the top of the stick.

"Maku!" Amaris exclaimed again as she seemed to giggle. She wrapped her arms around Maku's neck, while Maku shrugged in a sheepish manner, his eyes glowing redder than before.

"Hello, Amaris," he greeted as she pulled away. He looked away from her and over to Link. Amaris turned as well.

"You brought help," Maku stated as he looked at Link, "for the tribe."

"Yes," Amaris said, nodding gleefully. "His name is Link! I met him in the woods. He's agreed to help us find the others!" she exclaimed. "But, he said he'd need help with finding something in exchange." Maku stepped forward and looked up to Link, his staff walking in perfect unison with him.

"Link, you say?" Maku asked.

"Yes," Link replied with a nod, resting his forearms on his bent left leg. There was a moment of silence as the small Deku looked Link over.

"You truly wish to help us?" Maku asked after the short pause. "You really want to help find our other members?" Link smiled and nodded. "But...Amaris said that you wish for help in return as well. What is it that you need help with?" Link took in a short breath.

"I need help getting to somewhere's important; to the Temple of Hylia. Amaris said that you might know where that's at. Do you think you could lead me there, if you know where it's at?" Link asked. Maku brought a finger up to the rim of his wooden snout like mouth and paused in thought.

"The Temple of Hylia, you say?" he mused as he stood in thought. "Hmm...if by any chance that has to do with the Sealed Ruins, then yes, I do know where that is, and I would be willing to lead you there. But, it may not be the correct place. If you would still be willing to help us, I promise that I will take you there. Is this alright with you?" Maku asked.

"It's fine," Link said with another smile and nod.

"Hooray!" Amaris exclaimed, hopping around happily once more as Link pushed himself into a standing position, "We're going to find the others! Oh, I'm so happy! They must all be scared and alone... Hopefully we'll find them all soon!" Amaris's bouncing had led her in front of Link and Maku, who stood watching her as she eagerly stood there.

"Well?" she asked. "What are you waiting for? Let's go find our tribe!"

Amaris skipped forward and Link quickly looked down to Maku, a smirk on his face and a brow raised. Maku slightly shook his head and politely motioned forward with his staff for Link to follow her. The two began to follow Amaris into the woods, ready to find the other Dekus.

~...~...~...~...~

"I remember some of the others saying that they would be following the streams," Maku said as the trio walked along within the forest. "If we follow along and check areas surrounding them, maybe we can find members of our tribe."

"Oooh!" Amaris exclaimed as she walked alongside him. "What about those nasty Bokoblins which have come here recently?!" she asked. "You don't think they might have caught some of the others, do you?"

Maku suddenly stopped in place, causing Link and Amaris to stop as well. Link watched the two as worry and concern took over their features. Simultaneously, the two turned and began to sprint into the forest. Link stood confused for a moment, watching them go, but came to his senses and ran after them.

It was difficult for Link to follow the tiny, nimble Deku children, but he managed, charging through the woods and following in their footsteps. They ran through brambles, bushes, thorns, and thickets towards the sound of rushing water. Soon, ahead Link could see warm orange lights shining through the trees and casting shadows all around them. Maku seemed to notice as well, for he stopped up ahead, putting his wooden staff out to block Amaris.

Amaris skidded to a quiet stop, and Link slowly came up behind them, careful to keep quiet. He kneeled down behind the two Dekus, and Maku glanced up to him. Maku then looked back ahead and parted some leaves to give the three a better view. The three gasped at the sight. Before them was a group of about seven Bokoblins gathered around a large fire, with a trembling Deku child watching fearfully from the side, with a rope around his ankle and tied to a nearby tree trunk.

"No! Michu!" Amaris exclaimed at the sight of the fellow Deku. Maku turned and quickly quieted her. She hushed, but began to tremble. "Ohhh... this is bad!" Amaris whispered. She turned and looked to Link. "You took on a group of Bokoblins to save me before, remember? Please, Link, you have to rescue Michu!"

"I will. You two just stay hidden, okay?" he said. Both Maku and Amaris nodded.

Link stood up, remaining low as he quietly unsheathed his sword. He moved away from Maku and Amaris as quickly and quietly as possible so as not to draw attention to the two Dekus. When he decided he was far enough away from Amaris and Maku, he reached into his side pouch and pulled out the boomerang. He thought it would be a good idea to confuse the already mindless beasts which were before him, making it easier for him to attack.

Link spotted a Bokoblin to hit which would attract attention of the entire group. He reared his arm back and aimed for the Bokoblin. Finally, he threw the boomerang.

The boomerang flew quickly through the air, _whooshing _as it went, and the flying object took the Bokoblins' attentions off of the Deku and the fire. The boomerang soon hit its target and nearly knocked the Bokoblin over. The other Bokoblins rushed over to their harmed brethren, curious as to what had just happened. Link, however, took this as his chance.

Link lunged out of the woods, his sword raised, and he began to attack the Bokoblins. The first one he hit he had slashed in its back, and the beast let out a shrill cry at the pain. The other monsters turned away from their still dizzy comrade, and put their focus on Link. Link paid them no mind. He continued to attack.

Link slashed and killed off the Bokoblins one by one. The monsters were no match for him, for fell as quickly as they were able to grab their weapons. He had killed off half of them when he felt something large hit him in the side. He fell to the ground, the wind knocked out of him. In the background, Link could hear a Deku shrieking, the cry most likely belonging to Amaris. He turned over and looked up to see what had gotten him. Above, a Bokoblin stood letting out a shrill, angry cry as it waved a wooden club above its head. Link's eyes went wide.

Link forced himself to roll out of the way as the monster swung the club at the spot in which he'd been. He pushed himself up into a crouching position, huffing and panting as he still attempted to catch his breath. He finally pushed himself up and ran off from the Bokoblins, just far enough in the little clearing to put space between them. He had nearly caught his breath and was ready to fight once more when he realized something; he didn't have his sword.

Link looked over to where he'd fallen. Lo and behold, his was lying there upon the ground.

"Damn it," he muttered. Link flashed his eyes up to the remaining two Bokoblins which were rushing towards him, their weapons raised and ready to attack. Link reached behind his back and pulled off his shield, ready to use it for defense.

The Bokoblins came at him, swinging their clubs just as he held up his shield to defend. He knocked the two beasts back, hindering their balance, and ran past them. Link went to his sword and quickly swiped it up, glad to have it within his grasp once again. He spun around and readied his sword as he heard feet quickly stomping towards him, and was prepared to attack the Bokoblins once more when something surprising happened. A deku seed hit one of the Bokoblins in the head.

The Bokoblins, and Link as well, turned and caught sight of Amaris holding deku seeds within her small hands. Even more surprising was that Maku was behind her with the other Deku, trying to free him from the tree. Link looked back to Amaris and watched as she put another one in her mouth and spit it out at the monsters.

"Take that you stupid monsters!" she shouted.

The Bokoblins grimaced at the small Deku child and ignored Link. Amaris's eyes went wide and she took a step back. Link immediately looked away from her and back to the monsters, glaring at them now.

"Oh no you don't!" he shouted.

Link ran forth and the Bokoblins turned in time to see him performing a wide side slash, one that was enough to knock them both off of their feet.

"Amaris, Maku, hurry up and help your friend!" he ordered as he stood between the three Dekus and the Bokoblins. "I'll be able to get these two."

"Okay!" Amaris replied.

The Bokoblins were up by now and charging towards Link, their weapons held high once again. Link formulated a quick plan by dodging the two Bokoblins' attacks by jumping out of their way, and then slashing the one closest to him twice. He knocked that one onto the ground once again and set his focus on the one still standing. Quickly, Link slashed upward towards the beast's chin and then across its neck. The monster collapsed into a heap and soon turned into a purple fog. The final Bokoblin was just standing now and Link was close enough to attack it. Link slashed away at the last Bokoblin and it was soon defeated, disappearing without a trace just as the others had.

Link sheathed his sword and placed his shield back on his back, glad to put the two weapons away. He closed his eyes and calmed himself for a moment, allowing him to catch his breath. He was still feeling a bit out of breath due to the hit to his side, but now that there were no more monsters to fight (at least for now) he was able to completely recuperate.

"Link?" Amaris's distorted Deku voice called from behind. Link opened his eyes and turned around, looking to the small Deku child. "Are you okay?" she asked, her glowing yellow-orange eyes filled with concern.

"Yeah," he said with a nod. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" he heard Maku ask, causing him to look over. "You took a fairly bad hit," he said.

"I'll be fine," Link replied with an assuring smile, though a numb pain from his side told him he'd be eating his own words later. Link pushed the thought of pain into the back of his mind as he noticed the Deku scrub who had been held prisoner by the Bokoblins was now obviously free.

"T-Thank you, m-mister," the Deku scrub stuttered as it looked up to Link. "Thank you v-very much for saving m-me."

"You are very welcome," Link said with a nod and a smile.

"M-my name is Michu," the Deku scrub said. He looked Link over with astonishment for a moment. "I've never seen a human before, mister Link. We always thought humans were bad based on the ones that our tribe members had run into. You're not bad, though," Michu pointed out as he cocked his head to the side. "Oh, now I'm just talking about nothing," he said as his eyes went redder and he scratched the back of his head. "I apologize if I've said something rude, mister Link..."

Link gave a little laugh, confusing the small creature.

"It's okay, Michu," Link told him. "And there's no need to call me mister; Link is okay."

"Oh, well thank you, Link!" Michu said, his eyes glowing yellow.

"Yes, Link," Maku said, taking all of their attention, "thank you. Thank you very, very much."

Maku paused for a moment, looking down and away.

"There are still more members of our tribe to be found," Maku said, looking up to Link once more. "I fear that, especially by this instance, that we may not have much time before something bad may happen to them all. Time is wearing thin, so we must hurry." Amaris, Michu, and Link nodded in agreement.

"Then let's go," Link said with another final nod. Maku too nodded.

Maku took his place ahead of the group, and Link stood in the middle, now with Michu and Amaris following behind. The four re-entered the woods, determined and ready to find remaining members of the Dekus' tribe.

_This, _Link thought, _is going to be a long night. _


	35. Chapter 31 point 5

_Well, I'm on time this week! Shocker. _

_First of all, I'd like to thank missladyjune for favoriting this story, and Chiki Nani for adding it to their alerts! Thank you very much, and I appreciate it!_

_Also, if anyone's interested, I doodled Zelda in her dress- and it's in COLOR! You can see it on my DeviantArt if you're curious (there's a link on my profile)_

_Not much else…_

_Read, Review, Enjoy!_

* * *

Zelda slowly awoke to the sound of bickering and squeaking wheels, as well as pain which encompassed her whole body. She let out a quiet groan, squirming slightly wherever it was that she sat. Opening her eyes into narrow slits for a few moments, and she took in her surroundings in that time. She was in what appeared to be a carriage, though each side was made of wood and there were no ways to get out. It was dark, the only light within the cart being soft, pale moonlight from two barred windows within the walls of the carriage. Looking down to her hands and feet, she also noticed that she was chained up. That she was a prisoner.

She closed her eyes once more and let her head gently fall back onto the wooden wall. She had recalled what had happened to her earlier in the night, that of her being attacked and kidnapped by Ganondorf.

"No..." she whispered, closing her eyes even tighter. She still could not believe that had happened, that she had been kidnapped again, and this time away from the home to which she had only just returned. She couldn't believe it, that after all she, as well as Link, had been through to get her to the castle that she'd just been plucked right back from it. It was pathetic, absolutely pathetic, and Zelda knew it.

Zelda opened her eyes once more and let her head loll to the side. She decided that it might be best to take her attention off of her woes and listen to the conversation that was happening just outside of the walls of her wooden carriage. The voices she heard were unfamiliar to her ears; however, Zelda could tell that the voices belonged to two women by their nasally tone as they yelled back and forth at one another.

"Like you thought it was a good idea!" one of them shouted in response to the other. "You thought that Ganny would be unsuccessful breaking into the castle and getting that little runt, but look how wrong you are now!"

"Oh, hush Koume!" the other snapped. "So what if I doubted Ganny's plan? He proved me wrong and that he could do better, and that is more than a mother could ask for! Isn't that right Ganny?"

Zelda furrowed her brows at the name 'Ganny'. Such a title was childish, and even though it made sense, did not fit who they were talking about and so she was unsure that what she made of the name was true.

Someone scoffed.

"Will you shut your irritating mouths?!" the familiar voice of Ganondorf barked. Zelda's eyes went wide, despite it causing her head to ache. "That childish pet name which you constantly use on me is not fitting for someone such as I, and I will not stand for it!" he said.

"Oh, Ganny," one of the women said in a chiding tone of voice, "you know you would find it strange if we called you by your name 'Ganondorf.' It's our motherly love which makes us call you Ganny!"

"Yeah!" the other exclaimed. "Besides, if we called you Ganondorf then we'd fall in line with your mindless minions and those other lowly Gerudo, and we are nothing of the sort!"

"Might as well be..." Zelda heard Ganondorf mutter.

A sudden gasp came from both of the women, and this surprisingly caused Zelda to nearly laugh.

"GANNY!" the women cried in unison. Zelda was grinning at this point and ready to hear more.

"That's no way to talk to your mothers!" one of them said.

"Yeah! Such a rude statement!"

"Why, if you weren't the king of the Geru-"

"Oh, can it you wretched old women!" Ganondorf snapped. There was a short moment of silence after this, and even Zelda was taken aback. "You should be lucky that I do not have both of you beheaded for such statements! Now, make yourselves useful and check on the Princess."

"Yes, your highness." the two women said with a hint of spite.

Zelda pushed back against the walls of the wooden carriage, not wanting to be seen by the two women. She knew it was futile to even try to hide, but she still shrank away.

Zelda watched both of the small barred windows for the two women, when suddenly she saw two people that did not look very human. The two women that she saw out of either window had large bug eyes, and enormous hooked noses. Their skin appeared to be a dark greenish-brown, and the each had long silver hair pulled up into tight, gigantic, buns. Around each of their buns were metal bands with designs on them with a gem in the center of each. One woman had a red band with a red gem, and the other a blue band and blue gem.

"Ohhhhh!" the woman with a red gem called out. "Well, well, well! It appears as if her majesty is awake!"

The other woman with a blue gem snickered.

"Her majesty, Koume?" she asked. "More like a tragedy, if I do say so myself!"

Zelda sneered as both of the ancient women laughed at her.

"A tragedy indeed!" Koume agreed. "Just look at her! Her hair's a mess, falling in knots and tangles! And her face is just as horrendously unappealing!"

"Oh, yes, Koume!" Kotate said with a cackle. "That cut on her face is possibly the most pleasing part about her! But it only goes to show how weak she is, and that does her no good!"

"Kotake, what an utter mess this girl is! I don't see how she could possibly be related to royalty of any kind, even those rotten Hylian rulers!" Koume said with a grin. "She's so pathetic!"

"Yes!" Kotake agreed. "Even a royal family of pigs is nobler than her!" Both of the women chortled at that.

At this point, Zelda was glaring daggers at each of the women. Not only had they insulted her by comparing her to a group of pigs, mocking her appearance, and calling her a pathetic tragedy (although deep down Zelda felt this to be true), but they had also called her entire family rotten. That was crossing the line.

"Hey!" Zelda yelled, stopping both of the women's laughing. "At least I'm not a pair of ugly old hags who go tormenting a girl in chains to feel better about themselves!"

"Oh?" both of the women said, taken aback by her sudden outburst.

"You heard me you ugly old freaks!" Zelda shouted. Both women narrowed their eyes at her.

"Oh, it seems like she's got a bit of fight in her, Kotake," Koume said as she frowned at Zelda.

"Probably not much though," Kotake said, the same expression present. "She wouldn't last in a true fight, and I bet she wouldn't even be able to hold herself in a battle of words!"

Koume and Kotake both laughed and snickered at this. Zelda merely sneered.

"Okay, look here you hook nosed witch," Zelda spat, catching the women's attention once again, "I may not appear to be much but I can certainly tell you that I'd beat a brittle sack of bones such as your old and dying selves to dust had I the chance! If I weren't in here and were equipped with a sword, I'd be able to slaughter a pair of wretched old hags such as you! Too bad you'll probably be dead of age by the time I got out of here!" Zelda yelled with ferocity. Zelda scowled at the women, her eyes, which were beginning to glow, were narrowed and her teeth barred as she stared at them. She knew that they were to awestricken to say anything; hell, she'd even heard Ganondorf beginning to catch his breath at what she'd had to say.

"Why you little-" Koume was saying as Ganondorf cut her off.

"Koume, Kotake!" he called from the front of the carriage. Zelda watched as the two women obediently went back to the front of the cart.

"Yes, Ganondorf?" the two women said in unison.

"Return to the desert. I am no longer in need of your assistance." Ganondorf said plainly.

"But-"

"I said go. At once!" he commanded.

"Yes, Ganondorf. Let us fly off, Kotake." Koume said.

Within a moment, a loud whooshing noise passed up either side of the cart and the two women were gone. Zelda looked out the window and saw to streaks of grey heading towards the northern sky. She turned away and crossed her arms, peering to the wall which she knew Ganondorf was in front of.

"What," she asked in a taunting manner, "fearful for your 'mothers'' feelings?" Zelda asked. Ganondorf scoffed.

"Fearful that my ears would soon be bleeding," he said in a sardonic way. This surprised Zelda. "Could I have stood them, I'd have continued to let them torment you. Alas, one can only take so much of those loud women."

Zelda looked away from the wall and was shocked to find herself agreeing with a man that she hated with all of her might. Silence passed and the quiet led to her returning to her thoughts about her parents and Link. She wondered how her parents and Ilda were doing at the castle, and what they were doing to try and find her, for she was sure that a sudden plan was set in motion to rescue her. Her mind then wandered to Link, wondering how he was faring and if all was well with him. She wondered how long it would be now until she'd see him again, and she wondered if news of her disappearance would reach him before she was able to.

A sudden sadness hit Zelda like a ton of bricks now that she thought of that. She realized just how much trouble she was in. Zelda pulled her knees to her chest, crossing her arms and frowning as she sat back against the wooden cart. She closed her eyes as tears began to form, forcing them back from whence they came.

"Where," she said slowly, keeping her voice steady, "are you taking me?"

"You shall come to know of that soon enough, Princess." Ganondorf simply replied. Zelda frowned. She knew she wasn't going to get a better answer than that. She sighed and let her head lean back onto the wooden wall behind her. As she sat there, saddened and frustrated, she came to a conclusion. She was not getting away from this. Not at all. She didn't even believe the light powers which she possessed would be able to help. _Not that I can control them anyway._

As she sat there in the silence, the only sound being the crickets outside, the squeaking of wooden wheels, and the heavy hoof beats caused by a trotting horse, she brought her hands up together, clasped loosely before her chest and closed her eyes. Zelda began to do something which she normally did not do. She began to pray.


End file.
